The 1st Generation: Sailor V
by MysticMew
Summary: Ever wondered what happened in the first timeline before Chibiusa was even born and travelled back to the past? This is a prelude story to the actual series and deals solely with Minako and Hotaru at the time between the seasons. (AU, Shoujo Ai) FINISHED!
1. Vol.4 - Kindred Souls

Title: (1st Generation) Sailor V, Vol.4 - Kindred Souls Author: Matthias aka MysticMew Email: Minaru@gmx.de Beta-reader: Athenia (earthwing@comcast.net) Rating: PG-13, with some more mature situations Pairing: Minako/Hotaru Timeline: After Season 1; Prelude story arc to The 1st Generation. How Minako and Hotaru got together. Summary: Minako is back in England, her memories have been triggered and Sailor V is born again when Youma show their ugly face. Distribution: Starsinlove-group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove/), MAC (www.catstrio.de) www.fanfiction.net, ASMR (www.moonromance.com), anyone else you can have it but please ask first, 'kay? Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon/Sailor V belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei and Kodansha Story Disclaimer: Copyright©2002 by Matthias Engel  
  
Foreword  
  
Konnichi wa, minna!  
  
This is the first issue of the prelude series to The 1st Generation. Some of you might remember the teaser I placed on ff.net. This is not the original series but merely the story of how Minako and Hotaru got together beforehand. I still don't know if I'm really doing the original thing in cooperation with someone else, as originally planned, or all by myself. But that is not the point here. Keep in mind that I'll tell a lot of things in this and the following issues that will not be mentioned and merely hinted in the main series up to certain points.  
  
Now, enjoy!  
  
(1st Generation) Sailor V, Vol. 4 - Kindred Souls by Matthias based on the works of Naoko Takeuchi  
  
Senshi Diary Codename: Crescent, access only by registered and acknowledged members of the Royal Court. Scan activated Scan positive Recognition: Senshi Venus Login: Private Journals Receivers: Past Venus and Saturn  
  
Hi, you two!  
  
You're probably wondering what all this is about and why I'm dedicating personal entries to you two. Like I said already in the main section, Usa- chan is going to visit you soon - for the last time that is. We have been thinking about the many changes that occurred to the timeline. This is something exclusively meant for the two of you. I know it never happened in your time, but that's the purpose of these records. To show you what happened with us, as long as we still can tell you. The changes are slowly taking shape and I must say Hotaru and I fear them, solely for the fact that it might separate us and we'd simply forget about it. No, I could not live with this, neither of us want that. Still, we cannot force you, it is up to you two. I believe though and I promise you that you will experience a lot more happiness in life together than alone by yourself. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, you should read on, I (and Hotaru too) will explain as realistically and personally as possible. This is how we met first. After Beryl was defeated, after Moon set everything back and after we lived almost one or was that two years.? Ah well, the timeline was a bit different back - is that the correct word? - then and by the time we met I was already fifteen, Hotaru fourteen and a half. Enough babbling, read.  
  
(Minako) The rain fell. Black clouds darkened the sky above, somewhere in the distance lightning flashed and thunder rolled - the perfect setting for the lone girl's inner turmoil. At least that is what I would have found most fitting. But the clear night sky betrayed any signs my body must have send out to the world. It was almost like someone up there was laughing at the cruel joke fate once again had played upon me. A word, a name, a new part of my never dying nemesis. "Hiroshi." I whispered, thinking back to the handsome seventeen-year old boy, with dark black hair and the most enthralling turquoise eyes, two years older than me. How many had it been now? A dozen? More? I had not counted the various crushes for they had not been more than crushes. Some stood out more than the mass, some actually promised something more, for a time. Hiroshi had been the last one and I think it was the longest relationship I've ever had. How long had it been now? One year - or was it two? I had the vague feeling it had been two although the calendar clearly said it had been a year since that night when I had awakened covered in sweet and with an absolute blank memory. It wasn't that I forgot who I was or what my life was like and that sort but. I forgot something. Something important that I should remember, but I didn't. I'm sorry, Mina-chan, it's not really your fault. I just think we don't fit together as I thought we would. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to ward of the image of Hiroshi saying these hollow, nonchalant words as if they weren't ending a two month relationship on the verge of becoming something much more. It was as if something always interfered at this stage, driving away the men. I know Hiroshi wanted to take a new step upwards, a major step that I - though probably more experienced than other girls my age - was not ready to take at this point, more out of fear to destroy everything myself than anything else. Hiroshi had not pushed though, but in the end he broke up with me anyway. Men, all the same. You'll never find true love. The fleeting vision again. The only memory that seemed to be left of whatever there was to remember. I didn't recognize the face, I could not associate it with a name. But I knew him as a friend, an enemy, a former lover? All these terms rang true, at least I thought so. It was haunting, to say the least and sometimes in the night, I would wake up nearly screaming. Then, something would try to force its way to the surface and was gone quicker than it came. I looked up and through my blurred vision, noted that nature finally had caught up with me. First there were a few drops which quickly became a light drizzle and soon turned into a full-fledged thunderstorm. They had said it would be a clear night with no rain altogether. Liars. Two years ago - or was that three - I had told myself I was strong, that I could achieve everything and find the perfect boyfriend one day. I put a lot of effort in becoming popular, loving life and what some of the other kids called cool. The road was stony and I was never the best student to back up my performance, but I always told myself that I would never give up and all the crushes that ended into nothing more than a sore heart were just minor setbacks, not worth crying over. I would never cry! But what was it that I was doing now then? My vision was blurry and my eyes hurt from the liquid mingling with the hard rain, my hair was all drenched and unruly. All in all, I was far away from what one would call cool. I've never had let myself go like this. A few times it had come really close but now, now after two months of hope, of a relationship that maybe finally promised something more than heartbreak and the dull pain of rejecting in the end, that was the final straw. Hiroshi's words had pierced right through my defenses and even my strong will could not stand to falter under the weight of the realization that ascended from the ashes of this last crumbled relationship. I was cursed to never find true love. "Daijobu ka?" Though in a state where I really didn't care about anything in the world, I nearly jumped right out of my skin at the sound of the sudden appearance of the sweet, soothing voice next to me and the gentle hand on my shoulder. I looked up through my vision-clouded eyes and saw a pair of the most enchanting - in ways Hiroshi could NEVER match - violet ones I had ever seen, framed by a pale, gothic-like but beautiful face with dark, shoulder-length hair. She looked at me with an expression I thought no one in this world could ever truly master for me. Not just deep compassion, but understanding. Totally equal and shared understanding.  
  
(Hotaru) I didn't stop when the rain began to fall. Why should I? It was just rain. Nothing to be worried about. And who would care for it anyway? Who would care for the lone girl with dark clothes against pale white skin who wandered aimlessly around the streets of Tokyo in such an unholy hour? No one would. Probably not even my father who was away at a meeting somewhere overseas for the next two weeks. But that also didn't matter. Another school day passed and nothing has changed, I thought heaving a heavy sigh. Nothing would ever change. It was the usual as long as I could remember and today was no exception. Witch, gothic, those were the usual stereotypes in name-calling that didn't even register to me anymore. They became almost like second names already, as much as I despised them. To my fellow classmates it was like a game, to come up with the most creative names for me, I guess. I was the Queen of the Undead, the Crow Princess, the school clown for dark humor. Those were some of the lighter names they labeled me with - the worst I didn't really like thinking about. One girl had once suspected I could probably walk right out of the window on the third level, hover there and call a pack of crows on my arm without even moving. I felt like hitting her, really bad. But I didn't. I knew it would only add to my bad reputation - not that it could become remarkably worse. Besides, I did have not the physical strength to back up any strike back. Not in a sense that I could strike back myself, more like giving control over to that darker side that I could not really comprehend. That was an option that I despised even more than the hateful, insulting comments. Imagine my surprise when I turned a corner and saw the most emotionally wrecked, devastated and torn mess of a human being I had ever seen, far worse than I felt myself. I blinked astonished for a few moments before I approached the girl. The closer I came the more I could see of her. Once surely blonde, almost gold hair was now soaked and a fallow shade of its original color. She wore a dress - had wore a dress that clearly pointed that she had been up to something special. The dress was soaked now too and could not be used again for sure. However, as I came closer I could hear the heart-wrenching sobs emitting from the girl's throat. I could see the torrents of tears rivaling the well from above. Normally, I would be first curious and then discard such cases as those who cried over some pity breakup as if there was nothing worse in the world. Although this one had clearly something to do with that, there was more. More that made me stay and ask as gently as possible, if she was alright, instead of ignoring her. I had always been able to feel people's pain - an ability that I more often cursed than cherished. But when the blonde in front of me looked up and stared up at me in complete shock, I almost tumbled backwards from the sudden surge of. familiarity? I could not describe it better, even if that is the greatest understatement in history. Feelings of loss, uncertainty, chaotic insecurity, a long line of heartbreak and rejection, misused attention. And - furthermost - loneliness. A feeling so familiar I could actually call it a sister, an always present companion; the primal core of my miserable life up to this point. Loneliness - it was that which was reflected in the clouded blue eyes before me. I reacted on instinct; I did not know why and I could not for the life of me answer that question looking back on it. Sitting down next to her, I took the jumbled mess of a shattered soul equal to mine in a tight embrace and clung to her as desperately as she did to me. But I never let my own tears flow, I could not, not now. Though I knew she would understand, that was not my moment of grief, I had them several times a week anyway. No, this was hers. And while I stroked her back soothingly without a word, leaving the blonde to cry on my shoulder, never asking a question or demanding an explanation, I wondered how I could make the pain go away. I didn't even know her; I didn't know the exact cause of her pain. But somehow I understood and somehow I easily saw the emotional scar on her soul, torn wide open by what I imagine must have been the trigger event that happened just recently. Actually, I didn't know what I was doing as much as I didn't have any idea of how exactly I was doing it. With one hand, I gently raised her head with a finger under her chin and, looking her deep into the eyes, I placed my free hand on her forehead. Closing my eyes, I tapped into the latent gift that was often a curse too, and let my healing power flow into her, drawing strength from the other, powerful presence I could sometimes feel on the edge of my awareness. At the same time pushing the always whispering, mind-altering voice away, so that it could not interfere. Power coursed through me, power I had never felt before, emotions and memories all together in one big ball of. What? Another awareness, a presence, a part of her soul? I did not know. I had never attempted healing someone's SOUL before and up until now, I never thought it could be possible. But with the girl - Mi..nako? Yes, Minako - it felt so completely natural as if what I was doing was meant to be, had to be done and only for her alone. When you made it past all the shields that crumbled to dust before my mental eyes, her strongly weakened life-force was vivid beyond imagination. And with a flash of raw power, I was flung backwards out of her mind and right onto the river-like ground of the street. Slightly disorientated, I looked up at the girl who moments ago had sat on a lone bench, crying for all her life's misery. She was standing now, looking around wildly with a somewhat haunted look in her eyes with a glimmer of realization, as if some great, cosmic mystery had just been solved for her. I could have sworn I saw the brief flicker of a golden symbol on her forehead, resembling the astrology sign of Venus. The girl, Minako, finally focused on me and for a brief moment our eyes made contact. Clear blue locked onto deep violet. Both filled with loneliness, but also now with something different, something new, something. frightening. The girl suddenly turned and before I could even blink, she had vanished into the rainy streets. Had she been afraid? Had it been me? Had I done it again? Had I scared her off with the new degree of my power that I wasn't even aware of? Just like all the others? If so, then why, why did it feel like I did the right thing? For a short moment in time we had been two kindred souls, desperate in need of someone who understood - and that someone we had found in the other. We both must have known how unlikely the chances were that we met this particular night, under these particular circumstances. We had met nonetheless, drawn to the other like metal to a magnet, like protons to electrons. She must have known because I knew it. So why had she run? It appeared as if she had not been afraid of my abilities per se. Not like being afraid of the unknown, more like being. cautious with what she had seen, surprised and maybe uncertain to encounter it within another human being. Still, I had no idea why she ran. Was it the shock or something that I unintentionally triggered? "Arigato, Raven." My head whipped around but found nothing where the clear voice came from. Had it been the wind, a fragment of my imagination, my need to here her voice? Was it her voice? I could not tell for sure, since she never spoke a word but. I just knew it was hers. As much as I knew, the voice had been reality. For some unknown reason that totally passed by me, I smiled, feeling a warmth that filled me with undeniable serenity. There was someone out there that understood me and although I didn't know if I would ever see her again, it made me feel so much better. Whistling to a tune engraved somewhere in the back of my mind, I got up and continued walking down the drenched streets, oblivious to the rain. It didn't matter because I felt - for the first time I could ever imagine since mom died - alive.  
  
(Minako) Seconds passed and turned to minutes while I watched the girl vanish in the distance of the mist-covered streets. She didn't spot me on the rooftop on her right but if she had, it would have been a problem to explain how I got there. My mind was still a mess from the sudden memory onslaught and it didn't help that the first were from the final fight, me dying, us - as spirits - combining powers with the Ginsuishou and sending Beryl-Metallia straight to oblivion. What the heck had this tiny, fragile-looking girl done? The aura was almost. like mine? A Senshi? No, impossible, much TOO strong for this and much too different in the primary shade of her power. I doubted that even the Princess could match energy on that scale yet. That, combined with the initial shock of the sudden reawakening, had made me react so strongly. Every warrior instinct inside of me had screamed to get away, put distance between the unknown source of power and myself. And as much as a Senshi relied on her instincts, I had done just that. However, an equal feeling, one that dreaded Aino Minako for years, also demanded from me to return the favor the other girl had so selfless provided me with. There was a connection I felt that had scared me as much as it had amazed me. And for the brief moment our eyes had made contact after my memories had been triggered, I felt a pull towards the pale girl that I usually only associated with another Senshi. But this time it was different. What was the old metaphor? Two of a Kin? Yes, I think that was what passed between us. I did not fully understand the full meaning right now but. It had felt good. Electrifying and serene, wild and comforting at the same time. I had to see her again, soon. Not now though. Now I needed to get my life back in order. I finally had a name to the fleeting memory. Adonis - or Danburite as he had lately called himself. In a way, he had cursed me by predicting that I would never find true love, always dedicated to my mission. A life for the Princess. But there was no princess anymore. Only Usagi and she didn't remember - didn't want to remember. And although that should leave me without a mission and even more misery than before, it suddenly did not matter anymore. Whatever the little raven - as I called her in my mind - had done, it had taken away the pain. Not only the pain but the source of the pain. The gentle caress of her kindred soul had brushed away all the pressure Adonis' words had inflected my subconscious with all those years back. I felt alive once again - more alive than I could ever imagine having been. "Hello, Artemis." I turned my head and regarded the soaked white cat with the crescent moon with a look between amusement and chiding. I didn't care about it too much at the moment but he shouldn't be out here in the rain. "You've been following me." It wasn't a question. Artemis cocked his head to the right. "What can I say? Can't let you out of my sight for more then a few minutes." I laughed wholeheartedly at his usual display of sarcasm and held out my arms to hug my long-time companion and partner. Artemis complied without hesitation. After a moment though, he turned his gaze thoughtfully at the now vacant street below, a far away look in his eyes that I recognized as a mixture of concentration and puzzlement. "Any idea who she was?" I did not have to clarify who I meant with she, I knew Artemis had been there the whole time, probably the whole evening, following me like a shadow. Still, he just shook his head. "I have no idea." Looking up at me, he asked: "What exactly did you feel?" I explained it to him in detail but that left him only further puzzled. Finally, we gave up. Then we noticed the thunderstorm had passed and headed home.  
  
---About a few days later--- (Hotaru) The loud voices of flight announcers and other airport staff roared through the wide halls of London International Airport - a mix of many different languages but most of them in English. Which helped me as much as anything else. Oversea language courses. I would be surprised if Poppa even let me go over the city border without sending a dozen of search units after me. Normally I wouldn't mind, since I had nowhere else to go than home, but this sudden change was bewildering to say the least. His reason? The fresh air might do me some good. Maybe it was one of those moments where his old personality looked through, his long-time assistant certainly wasn't pleased. I should be happy really, getting away from everything and everyone really sounded good. The last days had been not so bad. I wasn't sure exactly why in the first place, but quickly found out it must have had something to do with the awkward, quite unusual encounter in the rain that night. I wasn't able to get the girl. Minako out of my head since then and this was not negative at all. If anything, thinking of her, the brief flash of gratitude in her eyes before she departed, the whispered 'Thank you' made me feel a whole lot better. Comforted in my own little way with the fact that there was someone out there who understood me and, even because of other reasons, shared the same overwhelming pain of loneliness. Thinking, that I might - M-I-G-H-T - have made her happy, made me happy too. Now if I could just figure out how to make the polite, but utterly clueless woman in front of me, understand that I just wanted to check out with my luggage - especially because I really needed some of my medicine. And I mean REALLY needed it. The attacks had surprisingly died down since that night, a wild guess was because of the abnormal power that I had unintentionally triggered. Normally, whenever I used my healing abilities, I would become seriously drained and weakened. And with a level like this, actually healing someone else's SOUL I had expected that I'd be down for several days, even a week maybe. However, quite the opposite had occurred. I had never felt so good since the day I was born. No signs of weakness, no sudden collapsing. Just. healthy. All things came to an end though and whatever had caused the reaction seemed to have worn off by now and I felt a little sick during the flight. I had some medicine in my purse but the more effective pills were still in my luggage since I had assumed I didn't need them with my healthier state of body. That was beginning to turn into a bad mistake and the lady who obviously didn't speak one word of Japanese didn't seem to get that I was in a hurry to get to my things. I was beginning to feel the signs of an oncoming attack already. I knew, if I didn't get my medicine quick then. "Is there a problem?" I froze right on the spot as the melodic, happy voice chimed in from directly behind me. That voice! I would recognize it anywhere. It was hers. HERS! The gentle hand resting on my shoulder brought me back into the here and now with a jerk of my head. Minako looked at me with a reassuring smile, probably already sensing that I had some language problems with an official who ordinarily should have been able to have at least raw knowledge in foreign languages like Japanese, but apparently did not. "That would be." I started but never got to finish the sentence when a wave of nausea washed over me and a sharp pain filled my chest and head. Kami, I hated this. When I thought it got better and then, through the slightest provocation, the attacks hit harder than ever. I doubled over and shortly afterwards found myself lowered to the ground by a pair of careful and comforting arms. Blue eyes searched mine for any advice of what was going on. "Where?" She simply asked, somehow knowing - although I could tell she was in no way experienced in the medical branch - that the sudden fall hadn't been caused by stress and flight symptoms alone. I pointed to one of the suitcases waiting in the dispatch area behind the female official. "Side left. pocket. The green. ones." Minako didn't need to be told twice and without hesitating a split second, got up and made one truly amazing jump over the delimitation. Apparently the confused woman had more against Minako's sudden action than just the violation of protocol. At least if the sudden metamorphosis into a purple skinned and liquid dripping insect - something between a spider and some other flying bug - had anything to say. I did the only thing that came to my mind. Despite my body currently not quite capable of doing so, I screamed.  
  
(Minako) The familiar tickling of my supernatural senses, my "Senshi Alarm", I should have known there was a Youma the moment I entered the airport hall. Something didn't feel right. I had noticed, but then I also spotted the little raven standing just some distance away at the dispatch area with obvious problems. From the experiences of my first time - which historically never happened - I had some ideas what the airport staff was like. Even at an international airport in a city like London, you often ran into those people who could annoy you to no end and from which you asked yourself how exactly they managed to get this job - a job where language knowledge was essential. Now Raven was paying the price that I did not pay more attention to my surroundings. But. Who would have thought to encounter a Youma here? This was definitely unfair. I had come here to relax, to put my life back together and focus again on what was really important - which I wanted to find out by the way. I was not here to fight Youma again!I had been in the middle of fishing the green package from the suitcase when my senses went off, practically screaming "Youma!" into my mind, shortly after that, followed Raven's strangled scream. Reacting on instinct alone, I immediately jumped up, with the medicine in one hand, and hid behind a pillar. Back pressed against the cool stone, I glanced around the corner and saw one of the most ugliest Youma ever - but my attention was quickly diverted to the raven-haired girl lying helplessly on the ground and staring wide-eyed at the insect-like monster in front of her. Her breathing was coming in short, quick gasps and while I was not an expert like Ami, I could tell just from experience that she needed those pills soon - whatever they were for. I had to make quick decisions. "Artemis," I hissed and as expected, my partner was already right behind me. "The pen." He stared at my extended hand as if not understanding and shook his head. "You can call it yourself now, you know that." I narrowed my eyes. Sometimes he really was a bit slow. I knew I could call my transformation pen with a thought, but I'd rather not risk for Sailorvenus to show up in public for a variety of reasons. "No, the other pen." At first Artemis continued to stare blankly, then realization crept into his eyes and with a sheepish "Oh" he made of the little flip flaps he and Luna used to do when reaching into their subspace pocket and drew out the object of my momentary desire. With one quick motion, I snatched it out of the air before Artemis could even land. "MOON POWER, TRANSFORM!" The familiar rush of power washed over me and filled me with a pureness only the planetary energy of a planet could invoke. It was strange though to experience the energy warped and masked like this after a long time. I had not used the old pen since I left England, a little ironic that the first thing I did when coming back was to use it again. A white-blue fuku with the distinct similarities to Moon's own replaced my vacation clothes, high boots and a red mask added to the outfit everyone once knew belonged to the super heroine Sailor V. I wasted no time as my pocket mirror appeared in my hands and I focused it instantly on the Youma towering over the pale girl's now clearly hyperventilating form. Anger welled up in me and I turned it into a cold, deadly flame, fueling my powers. "CRESCENT BEAM!" The focused beam which leapt from the clear mirror's surface nearly sent me backwards. Normally I would not need the mirror anymore to cast my primary attack but the power, I noticed, while not exactly that accurate anymore, was much stronger. The backlash of energy was equally as strong. Shaking my head for a moment, I jumped forward when the Youma was sent crashing into a nearby station from the impact. Kneeling down in front of the girl, I took my time to hold her steady and then held out the pills for her. For a moment she seemed not to register reality, but then grabbed the package, tore it open and quickly shoved three heavy-looking pills into her mouth. Waiting a few more moments to be sure she would regain her breathing, I finally turned towards the Youma who was up again and very angry. However, that was one aspect that I could certainly outmatch the demonic thing with. Letting loose with a battle cry, I shot forward.  
  
(Hotaru) The pills begin to give their effect as soon as they entered my system. They always did and once again, I was very grateful for that. My breathing became calmer, steadier and I took a few seconds to just sit there, eyes closed and recollecting my energy. or something like that. Sounds of fighting reached my ears some moments later and I looked up to see the masked warrior, who I briefly recalled had provided me with the life-saving medicine I so desperately needed, engaged in a fierce battle of life and death with the spider creature. I could not shake off the feeling that the female Senshi looked awfully familiar. The same physical aspects, the same long, blonde hair. the same red bow! That all couldn't be pure coincidence and yet my mind seemed to somehow block out the concluding thought that my savior was indeed. her. I marveled at the elegance and the level of skill the female Senshi showed. Dodging with a roll under the web of surely sticky substance the blonde came up with such speed my eyes were barely able to follow. Connecting with a crashing flying heel kick, she used the moment to bounce backwards from the monster and land a series of devastating punches and kicks that would make any prime action movie look like a cheap tape from some backwater wannabe star director. Ending the combo with a crushing uppercut that made the monster's head snap backwards, the Senshi continued her ascension in a spiral and landing upon a station that had been turned over in all the mess. "Wreaking havoc on an airport and endangering the life of a helpless, unhealthy girl, I cannot allow that! Codename Sailor V! I am the sailor- suited Senshi of Love and Justice, Sailorvenus!" The monster reacted to the speech with a snarl and an inhuman growl somewhere deep from its throat, before launching itself blindly at Sailor V. Something deep in my being reacted to the terms Sailor and Senshi together in one sentence but it was gone as quickly as it came. The blind rage of the creature proved to be fatal as Venus raised one head, index finger outstretched above her head, while the other still held what looked like a compact. "CRESCENT BEAM!" Two golden energy beams leapt forward from the index finger and compact mirror and crossed in the middle. The middle was the monster. There was a bright flash and after that the monster stared down at itself, wide-eyed and unbelieving what just happened. then crumbled to a pile of thin dust. I think I must have still stared for several seconds - minutes? The next thing I registered was the outstretched, white-gloved hand before me, offering its help in getting me to my feet. The hand belonged to the female Senshi who had just rescued me - and probably the whole airport from that vicious demon thing. "Can you stand up?" That voice! I grabbed the extended hand instantly, partly out of instinct, partly to prove a theory. An explosion of enormous power suddenly filled my whole being with new strength and I felt the evil, lurking presence recoil in disgust. The energy was so familiar that there was no doubt at all of its origin because I had felt it just a few days ago. I probably had invoked this power from whatever deep and tightly locked source of the other girl's spirit. The other girl. "Minako?" I croaked out, my voice wavering a little bit, but still firm enough that the Senshi would know that I did not just guess. V's features changed slightly and I could almost see her eyes widening behind the clear, yet still shielding glasses of the mask. The white cat I had spotted watching the fight intently before, made an almost human sound that could pass as a disbelieving gasp of surprise. Maybe it actually was, you could never know with a magical shoujo hero running around. "How did you.?" She took off her mask in wonder. The moment our eyes locked whatever protection her form provided crumbled like the monster had before and I knew for certain that it was her. How I could not answer, I just knew.  
  
(Minako) Fifteen minutes later, after all the racket had cleared and the airport had recovered enough from the first Youma attack the world could remember, Hotaru - that was the little raven's real name - and I emerged out of the front entrance, suitcases in hand and ready for travel once again. I did not believe in coincidences, not since I became a Senshi. And so I didn't believe any of this was pure luck. Hotaru identifying me with not more than a touch and eye contact, the single Youma being a stray case that was just a leftover from the destroyed Dark Kingdom and both me and the strange raven-haired firefly at the same time in the same place. My memories about the Silver Millennium and the lessons I learned there were too clear to not believe that this was some sort of cosmic alignment, an unknown but important course of destiny. Too many things at the same time. Not to mention that it turned out we were living practically in the same neighborhood, in the exact same backwater town on the outskirts of London. There was a reason that I didn't want to return to familiar surroundings and we nearly ran into the reason outside the airport. Kathryn, my old friend from England - who most probably didn't even remember me - was investigating the Youma riot and it was only thanks to my Senshi skills, some good maneuvering from Artemis and a subtle use of my compact mirror to get us out without even being bothered once by a single policeman - or in this case woman. "Is she connected somehow to all that. pain?" One thing was for sure, Hotaru was quick to catch up on the tiniest of hints. Artemis made a shushing sound not daring to speak - more because of the taxi driver in front than Hotaru since there had been not much reason to hide anything from her after she knew my secret already. I merely shook my head at him and regarded the other girl with a sad, somewhat longing look. "She. was one of my best friends, once, still is probably. or not. The story is too long and complicated to tell now." I tried to explain which in return earned me scolding expression from Artemis, but I'd made up my mind already. I could not lie to or hide the truth from the little raven next to me. She had done too much already. "Well, the short version is that I had a sort of boyfriend, we met, became friends and my boyfriend and her fell in love behind my back." As much as I wanted to sound indifferent, my voice was still bitter and hurt. I did not blame Kathryn, I never really did but that didn't mean that I was happy how it turned out. Allen was beyond my reach now, forever, and he never really knew what I sacrificed, neither in the old nor in the current timeline. It was a thought that saddened me more than thinking of him and Kathryn together. Short of Hiroshi, he had been my only steady boyfriend and he was again snatched away from me by fate - or the curse. "It's okay." The touch itself wasn't as comforting as the sudden soothing wave of understanding gently enveloping me. I did not understand what happened, I did not understand how she. No, how we were able to communicate on such a level when it was just the second time we met. Even with the other Senshi with whom I had shared a deep bond, the strength and the emphatic experience of what passed between us was ethereal, heavenly, miraculous but yet in the same way completely natural and human. Understanding, sympathy, compassion, the gift and personal experiences to know and react to someone else's pain, that was an ability all humans had in common but only a few were really aware of it. It happened not often, sometimes a life went by without a human being even realizing that a gift like that was even in their possession. Still, the ability was there and often it needed just a kindred soul to awaken. Human love, though the general public often displayed the illusion that the emotion didn't exist or matter, was one of the most wonderful and manifold in the history of mankind. Leaning my head against Hotaru's shoulder, a girl I barely know, I let out a long, deep sigh of contentment, as I felt peace filling me from my inside, calming down the emotional outbreak and closing the old but still fresh wounds. "Arigato." I mumbled. Hotaru hesitated for a brief moment but finally put an arm around my shoulders and drawing me closer, I did not reject, instead, I snuggled gratefully into the welcoming blanket of understanding care. Artemis next to us looked up at me for a moment with the strangest look I had ever seen him giving me, then he briefly closed his eyes, smiled and curled up to sleep. We stayed that way for most of the ride.  
  
"Ookayyy. Consider me officially spooked." Entering the room of the little bungalow, I glanced around curiously and probably would have not even blinked if a supernatural being jumped out of its hiding place. This whole mess was beginning to reek of arrangement. Not just some little trick a human would play but more the thing you would associate with terms like destiny, fate and the like. I did not believe as much in such things, but as a reborn Senshi, I had my own fare share of experiences with divine intervention. I must say I had been a bit more relaxed - and still did - after the taxi dropped us off at our location on a not exactly huge, but beautiful lake where a few houses and rental bungalows formed more like a nice vacation village than what I thought to be a town. Which was just as fine with me. The tension had left me and I felt more revived than ever before. Actually, it had been the same after Hotaru somehow triggered my memories and it didn't surprise me that much as it did the first time. Neither Artemis nor I had a clue about whatever power she possessed but I truly didn't care for the moment, for I felt perfectly at peace. That peace was slightly disturbed again as we realized we would be in the same bungalow for the time being. I knew I would be sharing my stay with someone, otherwise the journey would have been too expensive and my parents probably wouldn't have let me go. However, after learning this last bit of info, nobody could really blame me to be suspicious. "You think so?" Hotaru asked and moved past me to inspect the inside of our temporal home herself. I nodded thoughtfully. "We obviously had the same flight, you could identify me in spite of the glamour and now we are sharing the same bungalow although a few days ago we hadn't even known that we would spontaneously plan on coming here TOGETHER." I began counting off all the points with one hand, while Hotaru deposited her luggage on the large - quite comfortable - couch. She stopped in mid-motion and turned her head slightly. "I think that one can cover a lot of it." Holding up a piece of paper, she sat down on the couch next to the larger suitcase and began scanning over it. I dropped my own things and walked over to the edge of the piece of furniture, I half sat on, half leaned over the armrest, unconsciously dropping one arm over the backrest. I looked down at the obvious note with interest and caught sight of the signature below, identifying - or at least assuming was a Dr. Tomoe. Tomoe, where had I heard that. Ah, it struck me now and few pieces really began to fall into place. "From your father?" Hotaru nodded, rubbing her chin with an equally thoughtful expression. "Apparently he saw to it, that I wouldn't be all alone here, that it was you might not be more than luck in the end." I didn't share her opinion about that but kept quite. Instead, I picked up the slight note of her own suspicion shining through. "And that worries you why?" She sighed and placed the note back on the table. "It is not exactly the sort of thing I expect from my father. Normally he keeps me on a very short lash because of my illness and the fact that he actually suggested this trip to me was. unusual to say the least. He's been rather distant since mother." She broke off for a moment but continued leaving the obvious revelation hanging in the air. "And for him to so openly do something like that. I don't know, it's just. confusing." There was more than simple confusion though. Pain, sadness, loss. I knew, I was emphatic on some level because of my given powers, but to pick up so many emotions at once was a little disturbing and I suddenly realized that all the time I had been more receiving than giving. Whatever this connection was that apparently bonded us together, it went both ways. Hotaru had been so understanding because on a raw level she shared the same loneliness, different background, different situations aside, it was all the same. Therefore it was time to give a little of the care and comfort back to the little firefly. Subconsciously, I seemed to have already come to the same conclusion and when I shifted my eyes to Hotaru, I noticed that I had instinctively, without me even noticing, placed the arm previously resting on the backrest around her shoulders. Or had it been there all the time? The feeling of warmth and belonging bubbling up inside of me was so natural, still I couldn't stop a tiny awkward smile to cross my lips. Hotaru followed my gaze and for a moment there was a small, brief flash of ice cold in her eyes that almost startled me. It quickly vanished though as her features softened and she shyly smiled back at me.  
  
(Hotaru) We both knew beyond any doubt that the moment held an distinct air of magic and when I thought of Minako's earlier words and my own puzzlement over my father's action, I came to a startling conclusion. Someone had set us up. And THAT could certainly not have been my father, not with his latest behavior and the other personality changes. These thoughts drifted away again as quick as they had resurfaced when Minako gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze and favored me with a dizzying smile that left my nerve ends tingling with emotional caress. Emotional caress? Geez, now that sounded sappy but I couldn't help but feeling infatuated with the striking beautiful blonde giving me her full attention and returning all the care and comfort I have given to her. Our eyes met yet again and when I realized that whatever had just passed between us. no, what had passed between the two of us since that rainy day we first met was not just mutual, platonic friendship. There was a choice now, right at that moment. The first one seemed to be the most obvious - the easiest. Maintaining this friendship, this basic understanding of each other, and it would most likely turn out to develop into a strong bond that sisters often shared for example. However, the other choice. I was stubbornly telling myself that I had no intention of following that path but at the same time, could not deny the fact that I was enraptured. Not just by the other girl's physical and quite natural beauty, but also by her inner glow that shone as bright as the sun. I could not deny that I craved for more than a strong, platonic bond. And I could really not deny the fact that my face was flushed beyond what labels mankind possessed for the respective color. Before either of us could move or do something though, there was a soft, hesitant and almost frightened cough that made us jump slightly and cut the moment too short to do something about it. Artemis, Minako's talking cat, shivered a little under the glare that he received from his mistress. I really would never EVER want to be on the receiving end of that. She let it drop eventually and just sighed. Sensing that she had clearly hoped for something more to happen, I reached out with one hand and took her free hand, while the other still rested on her shoulder. She turned her head to me, smiled and when turned her attention back to Artemis. "Err, gomen. I was just curious what nature your sickness is of." He stopped himself when he received another warning look from Minako. Again sensing her protectiveness, I squeezed her hand gently and shook my head. "No, it is better that you know. You've already trusted me with so many secrets and when we are going to live together for some time, you both should know what to do about one of my attacks. I settled back into the comforting envelope of Minako's embrace and closed my eyes briefly, remembering some of those things from my past that haunted me every night and that I desperately wanted to escape. "My mother died a few years ago, when I was five. My father is a Doctor of Genetics, one of the best in his line of work. There. There was this accident one day, and I was there too. I remember it dimly. One of the experiments seemed to do something strange, there was a pulsating black light and then everything exploded around me. I woke up some time later in a hospital, my father was there and he told me mother, who was in the building too, didn't make it and that my own survival was a small miracle." It still hurt to talk and think about it but I didn't cry anymore. I had done that countless days after the accident. Also Minako's presence helped, again I sensed her shift with concern and shared grief for my lost mother. "Since that day I grew constantly weaker. Onii-san told me that this was most likely an aftereffect of whatever damage my almost dead body suffered in the accident. He became distant and worked more and harder, often neglecting me a..lot." I desperately hoped that neither Minako nor Artemis had caught the little slip. Though I certainly wanted to share the trust that those two were giving me, I was not yet ready to share this. Coughing slightly to divert attention from my sudden silence, I quickly continued. "The exact nature of whatever happened to me is not exactly determined but we know how to keep the body from weakening too much. At least Onii-san knows and he strictly forbade me to ever call on another doctor." I patted at one the side pockets of the nearest suitcase and added with a faint, humor-attempting smile: "That's what the warehouse of pills is for. Minako and Artemis exchanged silent looks that didn't go unnoticed by me and which spoke of a long, non-verbal understanding between the other girl and her companion, but they didn't say anything. Instead, Minako returned my attempt of raising the mood a moment later with a bright smile of her own. And although I could see the compassion lurking in her eyes, I immediately felt much better. "So, what do you think, should we unpack some of our stuff and then settle down for something warm to eat?" she asked and stood up, extending her hand to help me up. "I think you still have questions and the whole story might take awhile." I caught a mysterious twinkle and couldn't quite understand if she was just excited about finally getting something to eat or about sharing some of those, surely exciting stories with me. But I truly didn't care because at the moment, despite of the fact that I had just shared some of my most painful memories with the other girl and her guardian cat, I felt incredibly good. "Sounds like a plan to me."  
  
(Minako) The sun had long set and the beautiful dusk color filled the evening sky was slowly fading away, giving space for the darkness of the night. It had been a quiet meal, at least from Hotaru's side. She had never really pushed, I had simply began explaining somewhere in the middle of dinner. Maybe it was because we were both tired from the long flight and the events of the day or Hotaru was just polite. Still, I promised to tell her and after some of the information the raven-haired girl had shared with me about her family and the accident, I found it unfair to keep even the most treasured revelations about my Senshi life to myself. Hotaru had listened quietly, only asking here and there a few questions. I went over the more emotional events quickly, mostly because I thought that we could simply not handle any more emotional stress as we could not handle physical. After dinner, we had sat on the veranda for some time and I continued, spinning a few tales from the Silver Millennium area that I still remembered - and apart from Usagi, my memories had always been exclusively good. A few minutes ago, Hotaru had retreated to finally get some sleep and I would probably follow her soon. The fight had not taken that much out of me, more the flight combined with the fight and some of the emotional turmoil at seeing Kathryn again. There was just a couple of things that I had to discuss with Artemis, alone, before I could allow my body to rest. "You are not happy about letting her know." It wasn't a question, Artemis made it clear more than once that he didn't appreciate my open trust in Hotaru considering Senshi business, although he didn't seem to personally have something against her. The white cat eyed me for a few moments from his place on the table before answering. "It is just not like you. You've always been responsible in that respect. Kathryn was okay, she knew how to hold a secret but." "But what? You think Hotaru is not reliable?" I frowned at him and my tone must have taken on a sharper note. Artemis shook his head. "That's not what I said. I think she can keep a secret, especially one like that, and that you obviously trust her beyond doubt, which I can understand - and you know I do -, is enough for me to trust her. However, I am afraid she can't trust herself." I gave him a curious look at this, not really getting his point. "I mean. When I think about her state of health, not only her physical but especially her mental state. Every time I try to get a look on her, I cannot get an accurate reading. For all that I know, she seems to actually have other personalities in there and they are not exactly of the friendly sort. Do you understand what I am trying to say?" For all what it was worth, I guess I did. Artemis often wasn't that good at explaining what he knew or picked up, especially when he wasn't exactly sure what it was that he had picked up. Still, most of the time I got the basic idea and was able to act on it. The center of Artemis' message was quite obvious, if you knew his matter of speech for a few years. Hotaru herself might not be dangerous but whatever it was that was inside of her could most likely be dangerous. And if someone - an enemy for example - pushed the right buttons, that other personality might even willingly spill all the secrets Tomoe Hotaru knew. Both of our ears had perked up when Hotaru mentioned "a dark light" coming from one of the experiments right before the accident. There was an unspoken understanding between us that we thought whatever was there inside of Hotaru that Artemis sensed was obviously at least to a degree responsible for her illness. "Do you think she has anything to do with the Youma attack?" I avoided directly answering Artemis' question, which was not really necessary. My long-time partner turned his head skywards and seemed to consider the question. "No. I'm pretty sure that was a Dark Kingdom Youma, though a weak one like the Dark Agency used it. Usagi might have cleaned the earth from Beryl and Metallia, but that doesn't mean that she wiped out every Youma. It could have just been a stray case, which had avoided to be seen now that its masters were dead." He took a long look at me that spoke volumes. "But we both don't believe that." I nodded warily. "Exactly what I thought." After a moment of silence, I finally gave up on thinking what the Youma attack could mean and if there actually were some Dark Kingdom survivors around to cause trouble again. "What do we do about Hotaru?" With a lazy jump, Artemis hopped to the ground and trotted in the direction of the veranda door. "We wait and see since there is not much we can do now. The truth is out. I, for my part, am quite out of it. When you and Hotaru settle in tomorrow I'll go and try to investigate this further." I nodded thankfully at him. On the one hand, I wasn't in the mood to deal with this at the moment and on the other, I really was wiped out. Time for bed then.  
  
(Hotaru) I stood at the window for several minutes. Despite what I said to Minako, I wasn't that tired, in fact, I didn't even feel the usual drain from the near deadly attack in the airport hall anymore. Which was interesting to say the least. As long as I remembered, my body always reacted with extreme fatigue and an unpleasant weakness when I had one of those attacks. Again, just like this night a few days ago, Minako had a soothing effect not only on my emotional, but also my physical health. A part of this was surely Venus' doing, but I enjoyed thinking that whatever relationship was developing between us had something to do with it. In her presence, I felt so secure and serene, as if nothing in the world could harm me, not even the darkness inside of me that always came to the surface when I was alone. Now, even at the moment, there was nothing. Minako and Artemis had given me a lot to think about. The stories she told me sounded something between fairy tales and the harsh reality of a teenage girl fighting for peace. I could barely image what hardship the blonde teenager had to go through at the tender age of thirteen. All alone and in secret, she had to continue a fight that ended over a millennia ago and and that she had no memories about. The strain was visible, even if not for the general public, and now that she was the only active Senshi again, I worried if she'd be able to handle it. As soon as I realized that, I decided that I would be there for her. She had nobody else, nobody who knew this important secret except for Artemis. Also having a friend would surely help me to adjust to normal life a little better, maybe if others saw me with a - to their eyes normal - girl they would stop making all the harsh comments. And if fishes could fly, the heaven would be their new ocean. No, I couldn't let Minako know how much trouble I had getting along with other people, how much they despised me and how much their attitude hurt me. Not now, when there was obviously a new threat to the world brewing. I would be strong for her - for once I would be strong for someone else. When I finally made my way to my bed, I desperately hoped for a dreamless sleep. In the last few days it had been better, for the same reasons my health had become steadier, but with the recent attack. After the brief talk about my family and the still haunting accident, it wouldn't surprise me if the old dreams would come back. And it would surely be her hunting me, it always was her. The face never really went away as much as I tried to push the memory into the furthest corner of my mind, my subconscious was unyielding and restless in regards of her. She would come again and again, accusing that I was the one who killed her, that I had attracted whatever caused the explosion. That it had all been my fault. I shook my head, laid down and closed my eyes while sighing. I knew it wasn't me, but I feared that it was one of those inside me. Artemis seemed to have picked this up too and I didn't have any illusion that this wouldn't be a topic he and Minako wanted to discuss alone. My father had often reassured me that everything was mentally fine with me, just the aftereffects of the accident, my mind was playing tricks on me or shutting down whenever I came into situations reminding me of that day. He was lying, I knew he was. After all, how can you trust your father's word about mental stability if he wasn't even mentally stable himself? Still, somehow, with Minako there, her supporting and compassionate manner, I thought for the first time that I wasn't some insane monster, some demon who just waited for the right moment to act. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was actually worth something. That Minako needed me as a friend - and maybe possibly more - and that I wasn't all alone in this world. I found a kindred soul and come bad dreams or Youma, I would do anything to not lose this feeling. Never again.  
  
(Minako) Artemis went right to the foot of the free bed when we entered the room and was asleep before I could do as much as quietly close the door. Lazy guy. err, cat. or both. For all his abilities and his extraordinary hunting skills, he often displayed a habit of inactiveness that betrayed any sort of skill at all. For all what it was worth, I thought that was just his way to conceal his true self. Nobody would pay much attention to a cat, but anybody would pay even less attention to a lazy cat. I just wished he would stop taking advantage of me in regard of feeding and the like. I'm sure he could go hunting for himself very effectively if he wanted. I guess, a bit of laziness at least is natural. I trudged over to my bed and stopped at Hotaru's. The other girl seemed to sleep peacefully already, which surprised me. Not so much the already part, but the peaceful one. After all that she told me and the vibes I was getting from her over my emphatic senses enhanced by the bond that became stronger the more we were in each others presence. I would have guessed that she had more problems getting to sleep sometimes - more like often. The girl had an abnormal level of emotional pain right under the surface that I still couldn't fully understand, but I didn't want to pry. A pain that made my love problems seem like trivial issues. Instead Hotaru appeared untroubled and in, what I thought, was a dreamless sleep. Smiling to myself that at least one of us seemed to get some peace for a change, I bent down and placed a tender kiss on her forehead. Hotaru stirred slightly, then just sighed contently and went back to sleep. I continued smiling. For a moment the thought to join the little raven under the covers briefly crossed my mind, but I pushed it away quickly. Despite all the emotional feelings, that sort of action was still too early. Continuing onwards to my bed I left my thoughts drift back again to other matters, concerning the latest Youma trouble mostly, for all of a few seconds, until I froze in my tracks, as my previous line of thoughts started to really sank in, which prompted me to heavily sat down, earning a protest from a slightly shaken Artemis. Too. EARLY??? What the heck had I just been thinking? For all I knew, this was the first day Hotaru and I had been together for more than a few moments and I was already intending to join the other girl IN HER BED! Then there was the other fact that I had just suffered another failure in my endless pursuit of a boyfriend, but had surely not meant to change sides all of a sudden. Why was I practically that eager to jump the other girl right on the spot? I had never been this way. On the other hand, I had no issues whatsoever towards couples of the same sex. It was love after all and love appeared in different shapes, most of them entirely unexpected. Was it that, that I felt? Love? If yes, what kind of love? No, I could answer the last one already after I analyzed my own previous thoughts. But wasn't I just kind of upset, desperate in need for a human companion and especially someone who understood, cared for me and loved me all the more? All of these things described Hotaru well, although I could not be entirely sure about the last one. And what would the others think, if they ever found out.? No, if they ever remembered - which wasn't that far off with the day's development - and found out. Usagi would be open-minded, she was so much like me, sometimes it scared me. Mako- chan would make some awkward faces once in awhile but adjust quite well I think. She never liked people harassing others because of prejudices and she would certainly not sink to that level. Ami would probably die out of shame and embarrassment - I had to suppress a mental giggle at that - and Rei. Rei would probably freak, call me insane and the sort. I swear this girl is often more traditional and regal than Luna. But I think she'd accept it in the end. Was it that? Wasn't I just missing the others? And, mixed with the Hiroshi failure as well as with the compassionate bond that Hotaru and I seemed to share, did that make me think of Hotaru in a romantic sort of way? Crave her as someone I could actually, with some work of my own, have and hold, just for the benefit of having someone? No. A firm No. I could never see and use Hotaru in this way. If anything the feelings were real and genuine, especially considering the near kiss before dinner. I could have grilled Artemis right on the spot with a Crescent Beam for interrupting. Looking back, I think he saved me a lot of trouble by cutting into the moment. If we had acted with all those emotions swimming in the air around us, we might have ended up doing something very foolish that we would regret in the end. We both, and especially I, needed to come to terms about our own feelings before we explored that relationship further. I was not quite yet over Hiroshi and I still had the Youma issue to deal with. On top of that, I was still uncertain about what exactly it was that was between us. And rushing in without considering first, could lead to a lot of hurt for both parties. I had learned this lessons often enough. Not this time. If and really only if there was a possible relationship, promising lasting happiness, I would do it the right way this time. I smiled and began to slowly drift to sleep as I realized that Artemis might even have intentionally interrupted the moment. He knew me and my previous experiences too well to not expect me to do something foolish. Shall the old furball be blessed.  
  
Even if Artemis did prevent events only slightly, I had to think afterwards. It wouldn't have done either of us, Hotaru and me, any good if we'd let our emotions influence our hormones that evening. But I don't want to spoil anything, just entering my own rambling. Let's go on with the story.  
  
(Hotaru) Whistling softly to myself, I made my way up to the largest building of the entire city - it actually was one. The building was a wide, stretched structure going over in a globe on the top. The whole thing resembled a small stadium. Over the entrance in bright shiny letters the name "International Languages Boarding School" was displayed. I've never heard of such a place until father had sent me here and I was more than a little curious of what an institution like this did in a backwater town like this one. Minako would have offered to tag a long, because she herself was curious given her English was as good as a native's and she wanted to see, if there were any advance courses to polish it a bit. However, Artemis had insisted that she went on a quick sweep through the town and through the outskirts, gathering information on the latest Youma attack at the airport. Thinking back on the wake-up call I got, left me to wonder though if Minako wasn't the insane person instead of me. It might be true as Artemis said that she had trouble getting up but when she was awake, you could best describe her as a whirlwind of energy. People with a happy and cheerful attitude didn't bode well with my usual bit of morning grumpiness and so the first impression I got of energetic Minako was quite. disturbing. I could not really be angry with her, in the short time we've known each other - being mostly the last half day - I experienced it to be REALLY hard to even get angry. It might be an exaggeration maybe, but not much more. She was simply a life-loving person despite all the emotional trauma she had gone through. I loved her even more for that. Yes, I think, I was quite content about this and there was really no point in denying it to myself. I think it had hit me the first time we saw each other, the first time our eyes met in the rainy street. There was a potential that she returned those feelings but I figured it was too soon after her latest boyfriend to seriously think about pursuing another relationship, especially with another girl. And even if she didn't share my feelings, I could settle for a good friend, the only real one I probably had and might ever will. If what she feared would transpire quicker than she thought, I would have the chance of being introduced to the other Senshi too, who appeared from Minako's description really nice. I walked into the building through a fairly large entrance hall and up to a desk. I really would have been glad if Minako was here now, because my English wasn't that good, especially if the airport incident had been any certain proof - which Artemis considered to be unlikely since Youma often were dumb or the thing wanted to purposefully ignore me. I was relieved though, then the girl at the desk, who appeared to be in some sort of police uniform, was apparently more competent in Japanese then the stupid spider thing was - which didn't take much. "Hi, I am Tomoe Hotaru, I am here for some courses." I began to introduce myself but when she looked up from her work I got a better look on her and stared blankly. Dark-brown hair, an athletic figure, a look of good matured intelligence. "Kathryn?" Now that was something I clearly didn't expect and she obviously didn't expect to be recognized by her first name. "Gomen nasei, Tomoe-san, but did we met? I can't seem to recall." "Oh no," I replied hastily, not really sure how to react to the person before me after what Minako told me. I knew she wasn't mad at Kathryn or anything, more like she was upset that the other girl couldn't remember the year they spent together and what she sacrificed for her and Allen's happiness. "I. I just know a friend of yours." She gave me a puzzled look and frowned, I don't recall having any closer friends in Japan. What did you say the name of your friend was?" Psychological tactics of gaining information, nice. Didn't work at me though. But, I considered testing a theory. If I might be able to trigger any more memories. Yes, I realized that this was the sort of thing Minako and Artemis didn't want me to do, but Kathryn had once known her secret identity of Sailor V and I had the feeling that deep down Minako was craving for more than one friend, especially since we barely knew each other. "Minako. Aino Minako." The sound of the pencil clattering to the ground and the screeching sound of fingernails digging into the wooden surface of the desk attracted some looks and all of which confirmed my theory. Whatever their princess had done was not that solid if confronted directly and with Minako it seemed to be entirely different because she was active in the year that wasn't actually set back, which caused some interference with the loop. I tell you all that private studies father organized for me are good for something. Apparently Kathryn was quick in remembering, which proved my previous conclusion about everything that involved Sailor V. The police officer shook her head a few times and slowly leaned back in the chair. "She was there, wasn't she? In the airport I mean." Kathryn caught herself in the middle of the speech, realizing that she had no idea how much I knew Minako. I nodded briefly. "Yes, she was and yes, I know." It amazed me how quickly Kathryn launched into action. She called someone on the phone and then insisted on taking private charge on me, dragging me off to a tour in the building. I didn't know how it felt to have an entire memory set overlapping another at the moment, but I think it was just her way of dealing with it. So I was patient and actually rather interested in listening to her explanations about the school. A lot of police officers who wanted to become internationally active came here, the school had a good reputation with insiders but was largely unknown to the common public, which in turn, explained why my father knew of it. "So, you can remember everything?" I finally asked as we reached one of the private study rooms and set down for a cup of tea. Kathryn nodded warily. "More or less, yes. What. happened? I have different memories of the exact same year. How is that possible?" I smiled faintly and a bit rueful. "Gomen. I didn't mean to scare you but I think it hurt Minako more to see you yesterday at the airport and knowing that you'd not remember, more than the other thing." Kathryn waved my little evasive apology of with one hand. "I take you are quite informed about that time then?" "Since a day, including the night," I answered, earning a surprised look from the older woman. "A long story and I do not really know what I should share, even with someone who knows her secret. There are different degrees of information and without Minako's consent, I can't talk about that." Kathryn nodded understandingly and didn't pry any further. Instead, she pulled out a paper sheet from seemingly nowhere and started flipping through it. "Now, Tomoe-san, I recall that you were here for some quick courses." I smiled at her. "That was the plan and Minako told me you were a very good teacher." The young officer actually had to hide a blush. "Well, then. Minako's friends are my friends. As it is I have some spare time now that I can, with good conscious, let the airport case drop. Let's get to work right away." Was it just me or had I just made another friend? And someone closely linked to Minako too. The girl started to really become a powerful influence on my life and I had every intention of keeping it that way. With a bright smile on my face, which became more usual in the past days, I could only eagerly await the lessons. Between Minako and Kathryn, this trip promised to really improve my English.  
  
(Minako) "This was not my idea of a vacation!" I exclaimed frustrated, causing some startled looks from passing people and scaring Artemis nearly out of his fur - which I thought would actually have looked quite funny. After Hotaru left for her lessons, Artemis and I had gone in pursuit of any information we could gather, which was to say the least next to nothing. With enhanced Senshi abilities, it was easy to get a free ride back to London. After some very cautious inspections of the Youma site, we were actually able to track down the cover identity the Youma had taken. Not surprising at all, it was just a few days ago that the wannabe personnel had been in the particular line of work and that only as an temporary worker. But from that moment on, the trail became considerably thinner and ended finally in the temporary home of the Youma. It was, however, no question anymore, if the particular Youma had really been of Dark Kingdom origin or from some unknown force. The first one had been confirmed completely when we found the energy remains in the Youma's temporary home which were needed to stabilize such a creature in our realm for longer than usual. It was information that didn't bode well with me and let the hair on my neck stand up sharply. Still, all of the information was expected and just stole a whole day of my vacation. "I should have gone with Hotaru instead. At least I could have been useful there." I dropped down from one roof and let my Sailor V fuku fade away as I assumed human form once again. It was late afternoon already and Hotaru would be finished with her first day shortly, so I had decided to meet her here. Maybe we could at least do something relaxing. "I told you I could do this alone," Artemis said behind me and I made a face at him, accompanied by a low growl. Yes, he had told me this, but I had volunteered to tag along because in contrast to someone I know, I did know my way around London and the general area around the city. I suppose without my knowledge, it would have taken days until I would have seen Artemis again and, considering the less than thrilling information we had gathered, it would have been an even greater loss of time. I glanced at the outstanding building, or better yet, complex before me and when I read the name, something clicked in my mind. I had thought the name was familiar the first time Hotaru had mentioned it, but only now I was able to make a connection. A distinct memory pushed its way into my mind. Kathryn had told me she had spent a great deal of her training in that particular boarding school. The thought that Kathryn could be here briefly crossed my mind and made me hesitate for a moment, but I just shrugged it off and headed into the building. Artemis glanced at me curiously but didn't say anything. A lot of my time in England was still unknown to him. I didn't speak much about it and he never asked much. To be honest, what I had told Hotaru last evening was the most I had ever spoken about it since that day when Kathryn had been turned into a Youma and I had to explain myself to Usagi and Artemis. I stopped short as I entered through the lobby into another, quite larger section. The activity level at this time of day surprised me and it made me a little sick to see so many eager, young students working on assignments, training conversations with the instructors. What really made me freeze was the pair at the far end of the hall, locked into a relaxed conversation. When I had entered, my first instinct was to search for Hotaru and I found her quickly. She was one of the pair, the other one was one of my former best friends. Kathryn. Still puzzling over what I should do now, I nearly missed the warning tickling of my senses that went into red alarm in an instant. Hotaru happened to look in my direction, probably sensing me - I had discovered that there was a brief echo whenever her presence was near me and thought it most likely she had the same reaction - and that was when I noticed the faint smell of something. I wasn't an expert like Mako-chan in smell- tasting but I had the distinct notion of honey, at least it was sweet flavor. The thought of honey, immediately brought a picture of a raging bee swarm into my mind. My head whipped around and my body followed shortly afterwards, when the low humming sound filled my ears and grew louder with every passing moment. "Watch out!" I called out loud and clear for everyone to hear, not really caring about any kind of modesty. Artemis actually managed to let loose with a squeak as he discovered what I had spotted mere moments before. There were hundreds, possibly thousands of little insects, bees to be exact. At first they were little beyond noticing, but now they were steadily growing at a very unhealthy rate. An unhealthy rate for everyone inside. As soon as everyone noticed, a panic swept over gathered students and instructors; some of the latter had at least the decency to look brave and protective of their students - others crawled in fear under their tables. I could not really blame them. Acting on instinct alone, I crossed the distance of the larger hall in under five seconds - Senshi strength be blessed - and pulled a startled and really frightened Hotaru right out the line of one of the mutated monster bees. They were probably as big as a human head plus the upper body down to the shoulders and twice as menacing as before, mind you. I spared Kathryn a brief glance and made a simple code sign with my fingers indicating Youma trouble - as if she would have needed the confirmation, if she remembered. But I could only be sure when I saw her return the silent code with a simple, understanding nod. "Get everyone out of here, including you." I made sure to pronounce the last part extra sharply. Kathryn tended to hang around longer than necessary when I fought a Youma. Without waiting for an answer I spun around, warded one of giant bees off with a well-placed roundhouse kick and then ushered Hotaru behind a nearby column to the far side of the hall - thank the constructors for that one. I pressed my back against the cool stone and pulled Hotaru really close, which started to cause in me a lot of emotions coursing through my body all at once. A lot of emotions I really did not needed at the moment.  
  
(Hotaru) My heart surely skipped a beat. In spite of the less than thrilling situation with hundreds or thousands of giant killer bees filling the halls of the ILBS, the feel of my body pressed firmly against the older girl's sent shivers of ecstasy down my spine. I had never felt this way before, although I knew I had taken quite a different evolution rate then other girls my age. My physical form might be weak and sick, but that didn't stop me from being more mature and fine-tuned. Before I had never given it much thought, shrugged it off as a side effect from the accident and what father did to ensure my survival. Maybe it was the medicine or any of the special adjustments that father did to my body. But with Minako it was different. VERY different. The feel of her arms around me was incredible. An indefinable feeling of warmth engulfed my whole body in a sense like an unborn infant would feel in its mother's womb. That was not everything though. There was a feeling of raw and. primal need, a connection as old as humans walked the earth. I know that was corny, but that's what it felt like. And I felt my own more matured body respond to it; that I knew for certain now it had absolutely nothing to do with any biochemical enhancements or medical side effects. The reaction was not quite my own, but at the same time it was. That in turn caused the two other presences in me to either hide in the deepest corner of my soul or emit a short curious sensation of understanding. And understanding was what I would give about almost anything to have at the time. Minako's human form was stronger than you might think. While definitely athletic, the feel of strong muscles and supernatural strength had nothing much to do with any sport activities. The power was there and as much as it might frighten others, I felt completely at ease about it. The strength made me feel absolutely secure. To my disappointment the contact lasted only several seconds until the panic around us reached a new level of intensity when terrified screams filled the air. However, I was content that both of us had felt the rising tingle of passion in that short but significant moment. As I looked at Minako, I was pleased to see her face was dimly flushed and her eyes sparkling with a light that could match small suns and were only reserved for me. The look passing between us was even shorter than the previous moment of close physical contact, but it was enough for me to see several of my own emotions mirrored by the other girl. She turned suddenly about to join the frenzy, so to say, but I had other intentions. Catching her left arm, I did something I didn't believe I was capable of doing until now. For all my life I had been a reserved girl, not really shy or overly modest, more like affected by the society around me and the complicated circumstances of my life in general. I couldn't recall ever doing something bold like what I did right now. Pulling the taller girl against my body again, I reached up to put my arms around her neck and drew her down to shamelessly kiss her. What was happening, wasn't exactly what I had meant to do. What I did have in mind was a brief and quick expression of my concern and love, but even I wasn't prepared for what really resulted from my bold action. I had known that kissing someone you really love ought to be a really exciting and unique experience. I might be an outcast, but I don't live on the Moon. Still, nothing I had heard the other girls whisper and gosh around in school ever mentioned the sudden swirl of almost sense-blinding, pure energy which was created between us when our lips first met. The power went both ways, into both of us, back and forth in a rising, refreshing, strengthen swirl of energy force akin to a fusion reactor. Only that this one was obviously creating life-energy in its many different shapes. Ki, Mana. Things more meta-physical to be generally acknowledged by science, but even father knew that these primal forces existed in human beings. "Raven." Minako rasped breathlessly as we broke contact shortly afterwards. The screams and the buzzing noise of a thousand huge little wings - if that makes any sense - that had faded into the background returned full-force. I blushed a little at the nickname Minako had chosen to give me and that it was uttered with the husky voice that spoke volumes about the other girl's reaction to the sudden sensation. I hushed her with one finger to the lips. "Be careful," I whispered, not really trusting my own voice right now after the unexpected energy boost that left me practically crackling with energy and a totally new definition of healthy. And I could only begin to imagine what this must have done to Minako with her Senshi abilities. The result was sure to be quite astonishing and frightening. for the bees. "I will." Minako nodded firmly, one hand hovering under my chin, I knew she wanted to do something but was uncertain what to. Finally she went for a quick, sweet kiss on the cheek which was just as fine with me because I think neither of us was up to handle another power surge. Then Minako turned around, half-sprinted, half-jumped around the pillar and raising her pen up towards the ceiling. "MOON POWER, TRANSFORM!"  
  
(Minako) I never felt that alive. I think that was becoming a standard phrase the longer my. relationship with Tomoe Hotaru continued. Damnit, the girl was irresistible! I was almost absolutely certain now that I had fallen for the little raven. The way our bodies fit together, even in the tiniest, ordinary situations, the way she kissed me. Kami, my body was literally on fire. Every cell was burning and pulsating with energy, so much energy I felt like I could explode into a five years early firework, the biggest firework the world had ever seen. My fuku seemed to have adjusted to the sudden jump of my power level. The fuku itself was that of Sailorvenus, the high boots still stayed as did the mask, the tiara was still absent. All in all, a perfect blend between my cover identity and my alter ego. However, they were only the outward changes and they barely reflected what had and was happening if not for the crackling orange-gold energy aura that shimmered vividly around my body. "ROLLING HEART VIBRATION!" A red heart-shaped beam leapt from my outstretched hand and began rotating around itself while the attack continued its destructive way through a dozens of incoming Youma bees. I used that attack on some occasions, but was more than surprised by the sheer force behind the blast. Nonetheless, that didn't change much on the current situation. If anything, it made the rest of the bees more aware of the potential danger in their midst. This gave Kathryn time to get her colleagues and the students out of the building more or less coordinated, leaving me to face thousands of very angry, Youma-influenced killer insects alone. "Is it just me, or are we a bit on a disadvantage here," Artemis' voice broke my concentration. He looked at me funny for a brief moment, then glanced around nervously. I grumbled something about the "We" part and muttered a bit louder. "No, Artemis, it's just you." The bee swarm had used the time to close in on us and I responded with firing twin Crescent Beams from my index finger and mirror in two different directions. That still left a lot of directions open. My reflexes took over as a lot of the horrendous creatures came too close and I vaulted into the air, using one as a jump board and catapulting even higher. Focusing my concentration, I reached deep into the immense power that was coursing through me, fully intending to use it. Words flew to my mind and even though I wasn't exactly transformed and full capable of Venus, I knew I was just learning - re-learning? - a new attack. Raising my hand above my head, hundreds of tiny golden hearts blinked into existence around me and began forming a long chain that was wrapped loosely in the air around me. With a gesture I let it fly. "VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" The chain exploded outwards, striking through the air in a wave pattern like a stone would create then thrown into water. The golden energy cut easily through the masses of bees and decreased their numbers dramatically. Some recoiled in surprise, others were enraged and shot forward. However, I was already ready to face them. Swinging the chain in a way that it could connect with a loose beam under the ceiling I took to even greater heights, hovering high over the surprised creatures. I recalled Artemis teachings for a moment. From all the Senshi, I probably had the most intense training and knew things the others did not, a lot of useful things and some that seemed meaningless. One of those seemingly meaningless lessons came to my mind now. Artemis once said that our current forms were not our ultimate ones. It had something to do with the pens which prevented us from reaching a higher level of our powers than we could handle. Our bodies and experiences weren't developed enough at this part of our lives that we could handle the full extent of our given planetary energy. The power created by Hotaru and me was somehow overriding this blockade. And, all warnings aside, was probably the best thing for the moment. I had to take this risk. After all, I had matured technically a year since Beryl's defeat and even though I was not active as a Senshi, my body adjusted to it. I had felt all the familiar signs typical for a Sailor Senshi during the brief arousing experience with Hotaru. Mentally shaking my head, I returned my attention to the creatures below. No time for this now. It wouldn't do me any good if I thought about that at the moment. There would be plenty of time afterwards to explore the new level of bonding between us, if we survived this. With a final swing, I used the momentum which carried me almost under the ceiling. While I sailed through the air, I raised my arm, index finger outstretched, in a familiar position and called out a variation between my standard attack and one that I had often used during my first time as Sailor V. "CRESCENT BEAM. SHOWER!" The beam itself was deadly, precise and quick, while the normal Crescent Shower was purifying, wide-spread and soft. A Crescent Beam Shower resembled a small meteorite shower of thin but powerful golden beams of intense heat - a deadly shower that rained down on the insects, impaling one by one and covering the whole area. A small explosion followed when a beam missed and struck the floor, creating a shockwave that did the trick nearly as neatly. A few seconds later, I dropped down to the floor breathing hard. I barely managed to stand but that didn't hinder me to notice that roughly a hundred of the bees had survived the sudden onslaught and were now regrouping too. "Uh oh," was Artemis' comment when the Youma-infected bees began to actually flow together - and the sight was not a pretty one - into one giant, distinctly human-shaped insect Youma with glowing, venomous purple eyes and sharp, acid-dropping fingernails from what could only be vaguely identified as four arms. Buzzing with its wings, the creature looked at me and its equally unsettling jaw opened and snapped shut, venom dripping from its fangs. "Err, not good," I admitted and quickly called upon my tiara. "CRESCENT BOOMERANG!" The glowing boomerang-shaped discus shot through the air and cut directly through the lower torso of the Youma, effectively severing both body parts from each other. A moment later they began to drift back together. Turning to Artemis who stared equally worried, I asked. "Any bright ideas?"  
  
Since I think it to be fitting, I will now briefly type down my own thoughts about what happened and. ack! Artemis, this a private journal, that means just me and Hotaru-chan's. Yeah, but I was there too when all this happened, now be quiet, you can write the rest afterwards, but I think your younger selves should know what I thought about the whole thing now and then.  
  
I marveled at the effectiveness my charge was displaying. I knew she went already far above her current level, but depending on the fact that she, and in time everyone else, was already far enough in her training and skills that she could master the new power, it did not too much more than draining to her. And even that far beyond from what would have happened two - or three - years ago, when we first met. Also, I was sure that her alter ego Venus would prevent her from going over the edge if not absolutely necessary. The only problem was, despite all the new attacks, this new Youma appeared to be slightly over-powered for a simple Dark Kingdom minion. The combined dark energy of a hundred small ones made it very hard to destroy. "I wish for once that Moon was here." Minako knew exactly that I usually didn't make comments like that. In the beginning of our partnership, I had been very hard on her, but I had done all the drilling to better prepare for what it meant to be a reborn Senshi of the Silver Millennium. And she did make me proud because, taking only skill and abilities, Venus made a better Senshi than Moon ever had. That is merely a result of Luna's teaching or Usagi not wanting to learn, more so it was Minako's inner strength and will that made her a perfect Senshi and proved once more why Sailorvenus always had been the official leader of the Sailor Senshi and Serenity's most entrusted guard. No, Minako knew this, however I think she quietly longed for our Princess too. "We have to work with what is available and she isn't available in the moment. If we can't bring it to fall the finer way, we have to take the hard approach." I looked up at her skeptically. "You don't have enough power anymore to fight like that. This thing is like a blown-up energy bomb and it will take more then just a few Crescent Beams to harm it." V glanced over at where Hotaru was still hiding behind a pillar. "And I don't suppose it will leave me enough time for another boost." I had followed her gaze and could not help the frown crossing my features. I still didn't know what to make of Tomoe Hotaru. All I knew is that she apparently managed to do what made Minako really happy for. well, about the first time ever. Allen was close, Hiroshi was maybe even closer but none of them reached what had passed between the two girls. I remembered quite clearly the interaction between Kunzite and the older Venus in the Moon Kingdom and that was about the only thing that came considerably close. How was I able to tell? Oh please, I've been around Minako for so long now, and before that around Venus, that I could read her like a book. Every time she fell for a cute boy I could tell right away and never ever had it hit her so hard as with Hotaru. It was ironic though that she found the right person to love in the complete opposite direction she looked for. However, Tomoe Hotaru made me somewhat jumpy and I really wished Luna could be here to confirm if the strange feeling I got from her was correct or if something was wrong with my instincts. At one point I thought I clearly identified the presence of a - if so extraordinary powerful - Senshi and at another point my neck hair stood on end detecting traces of a demonic presence. And then there was just Hotaru, a mere human, in the middle of both polarizing points. "What the. No wait!" My attention drawn back to the battlefield, it seemed that the Youma had caught Venus' sidelong glance in Hotaru's direction - or it was just that she was the only human being except Venus still in the building. At any rate the Youma charged directly at the raven-haired girl who fearfully backed away until she reached the wall and then looked up with a look of pure terror at the approaching demon. Venus immediately launched into another volley of Crescent Beams but the sharp projectile beams did not more than sting slightly. Unimpressed, the Youma continued its purposeful flight and even when Venus broke into a run, all the while screaming Hotaru's name, I knew for certain that it would be too late for any sort of a miracle. By Serenity, was I wrong, although I really wished I wasn't after witnessing what happened next. Mere inches away from Hotaru away, her stinger pointed sharply forwards, I was already about to close my eyes to block out the sickening image that didn't really need any visual witness, when the younger girl's head suddenly shot up and a deep violet aura flickered into existence, effectively binding the Youma right into space and time. I think my fur must have jumped up and turned around its own axle in the process. A chill ran up and down my small form and the trembling, terrifying power outburst made something creepy crawl along my spine. The first time since the Moon Kingdom fell, I knew real fear. I caught a brief flicker of something vanishing from Hotaru's forehead that neither of us seemed to have seen. But it was the exact same place where all Senshi had their planetary mark. But the only Senshi possible capable of such amount of tremendous power would be. "Oh shit," I mumbled to myself. You really got yourself into trouble this time, Minako, I thought to myself. My mind worked overtime at this moment and while one half was still comprehending what I just concluded to be a potential fear, the other half analyzed the situation as ideal for us. The Youma was frozen into place, held by the strange, unyielding force of energy. "Venus, now!" I ordered quickly, jerking my partner out of her momentarily transfixed state in which she stared at her girlfriend, a dangerous girlfriend. I didn't know what she was up to when a sudden look of determination mixed with intense concentration came upon her face. I did not know how exactly we could use the situation to our advantage. But I also didn't need to worry about this. Well, not the last part, the first part was a bit more complicated. Venus' eyes suddenly blazed with raw force and her aura flared brightly up to the peak of her power, a peak that she wasn't able to maintain right now. She did anyway and when she held out her hand to one side, calling out the first incarnation word, I understood what was going on. "VENUS." "No, don't! You are not ready for that." "LOVE." Guiding her hand to her mouth, she drew back once again as if blowing a kiss in the direction of the Youma and Hotaru. "AND BEAUTY." A golden heart took shape in the air, radiating raw power under which Venus nearly trembled and lost her balance, but to my complete astonishment - and my pride - she was able to pull it off. "SHOCK!"  
  
What do you think, furball? I am the Senshi of Love and Beauty, there's nothing in the name of justice, I can't do! *cough* Gomen, back to the story.  
  
(Hotaru) The golden heart flared brightly and racketeered forward the moment Venus completed her chant. I watched with a feeling of strain, and barely conscious, as the blast hit home hard, shattering the giant bee creature into thousands of particles. The dust that settled down was inclined to drizzle down on me and made me sneeze a little bit. Casting my eyes over at Venus, I saw her standing there arm and palm outstretched and looking at me with an unreadable expression. A moment later she collapsed to the ground, totally exhausted. I tended to do these clinical analyses when I momentarily passed out and lost track of time, of what happened. One moment there was the creature racing at me at deadly speed, I was backed up against the wall and unable to escape and the next moment I saw Venus' attack crashing into the thing and disintegrating it as if it was a paper plane. I was sure Venus hadn't managed to pull that tremendous technique off in the short passage of time, not when she seemed utterly helpless at first. Something had happened and I had a sinking feeling that I had been responsible. again. Pushing myself up, I felt a bit shaky and my legs didn't function very well, but I managed to stand up and slowly stumbled in Venus' general direction, which alone confirmed that it wasn't one of my usual attacks. Artemis, who was already at his partner's side, watched my approach with a mixture of attentive and actual fear. Oh Kami, what had I done, what now? Had I done something wrong, again? Not with Minako, I could never hurt Minako! NEVER! Did you hear me? N-E-V-E-R! My eyes must have reflected my inner turmoil and Artemis actually backed up a few steps. Ignoring him for the moment I knelt down - or better, nearly collapsed - next to Venus and reached out to pull her head gently into my lap. Having the sudden urge to see her eyes, I took of the mask and was briefly greeted by a flicker of something akin to Artemis' reaction, but more like uncertainty and quiet reservation. Whatever happened had scared her badly and I knew for some reason that I was responsible although I couldn't remember. Venus quickly reached up to touch my face lightly. Her gloved fingers were soft and a bit trembling but not from fear. "Hey, don't worry. I'm okay, Firefly. Just. need to rest a little. I'm more worried about. you." Her words stung harder than the giant bee creature's stinger could ever have managed for I thought for certain that she had seen a side from me that I never wanted someone to see. I felt disgusted with myself for loosing control so easily. It happened so often before and I often ended up hurting people I really liked, people that used to be my friends. Then whatever beings were inside of me would come and scare them away, scare them to the point where they would hate me. And now it had happened again, to the person I cared for more than everything in the world. I had lost her too. I lost her. The realization slowly began to settle in and was pushing all doubts that I was making hasty judgment away. Holding back a sob, I lowered my head. Letting the black hair fall over my face and turned away, quietly whispering: "Gomen nasei g." Venus caught my hand. Her grip was firm but soft. Gentle eyes greeted me as I turned my head back to her. I was totally stunned into shocked silence by the look she gave me - so full of trust and compassion with a hint of sympathy and the overall impression of deep, caring. love? Yes, I saw it now, unmistakable and clear, the total opposite of what I thought would have been her reaction. I was transfixed by her gaze and almost didn't get the request she near-whispered. However, the meaning was so sweet and exciting that it registered anyway. "Kiss me." I complied immediately, reacting on instinct alone and guided by the wave of undeniable love, all which had led me eventually towards my previous boldness and our first kiss. It was an experience one could never forget, truly blissful, mind-blowing and in a matter of fact literally recharging. And I wasn't one to hesitate at an opportunity like this. She wanted me to do it, not only out of needing the boost, but with complete sincerity. Bending down I captured her lips with mine and immediately felt the energy building and swirling with promising life force. I made sure to somehow - don't ask me how - direct most of it into Venus' exhausted form, taking a little bit for myself in the process. We would have probably went on longer and might have needed it to fully restore ourselves to normal, but we were rudely interrupted by a very agitated white cat. "Stop it, both of you! You're making my fur look like I've been drowned several times in a row!" I broke contact and we both turned our heads towards Artemis, regarding him sternly for interrupting us once again. He coughed and quickly suppressed a blush, answering with a similar stern look. "Besides, we don't know what too much of these. boosts might do to you." Venus slowly nodded and let her transformation fade away. We both helped each other to our feet while I actually had to support Minako a little since she was still rather drained from the high amounts of power she used. "Are you two gonna be alright?" I looked up and spotted Kathryn cautiously approaching us from one of the side entrances, worry evident in her face. Minako made a hand motion and the police officers relaxed visibly. "Yeah, we. just need to get some sleep, I guess." Kathryn nodded understandingly and let her eyes travel over the room and the damage that had been done by the fight. "I don't think we are back to business tomorrow, feel free to stay in." Minako squeezed my hand and made a step towards the exit, but stopped for a moment to look questioning at her old friend. Kathryn waved away any words that might have come out of Minako's mouth. "I'll clear the mess up here, don't worry about it. I'll call you tomorrow and tell you the cover story." That apparently was all my. girlfriend needed to hear and without further words, we made our way back home.  
  
(Minako) Groaning, I kicked open the front door. Hotaru and I barely had made it back to our house. Even with the little recharge, I still felt like I could sleep two days straight. Hotaru didn't look any better, but at least she wasn't showing any signs of greater fatigue. The pale girl had made several attempts to help me on our way back but I had politely refused. As much as I would have liked being the weaker one for once, we never would have made it back, then I had given in. Both of us were very much aware of the effect we were having on each other. Despite all weariness from the long stressful day with the spectacular conclusion of the Youma fight, the brief exploration of our new-found. possibility of emotional energy exchange was pushing us both to the limits of our physical resistance. At any other point, I wouldn't have made a fuss about it but I was just to worn out and I really didn't want to rush anything with Hotaru. Hotaru made her way upstairs already while I decided to grab a quick drink and then have a short shower to get my body to relax. While the soothing, warm water washed away the hyper-sensitive state my body was currently in, I thought about the events of the day. I may be drained energy-wise, but the rest was still the same like after every fight. All senses alerted, body strained and a tiny bit but nonetheless noticeable edgy. Showering often helped to relieve the usual after-battle symptoms. This day was definitely going into the weird category. First, we ran around the London area for almost nothing, then got engaged into a fierce, desperate battle with mutated bees. And along the way I most likely had made the first girlfriend of my life and our first kiss was a spiritual experience beyond everything any couple could ever imagine. I felt truly blessed to have found such a wonderful person who apparently wanted me the same way I did and it did not really matter if we were both female. Ironically though, Tomoe Hotaru had turned my whole belief system upside down. I always thought myself to be the one chasing after cute boys and making the first move. Then the little raven had dropped into my life and in the end it was her who pushed the door to a very potential relationship wide open. Did I love her? I guess, I did and still do. How could anyone doubt it after what transpired today? With one kiss Hotaru had made me completely hers. Not only that, but she also saved all of us. Without her bold move, I would have never been able to beat the Youma, probably not even the little ones. Either that or I would have been in no condition to do anything for a week. Now, I was only power-drained and physically without noticeable injuries. Hotaru presented me with an opportunity that promised real and honest love. No unrequited feelings, no half-hearted intentions, instead a total new, unexplored and pure kind of love. Somehow I knew for sure that I had found the one person in the quieter and reserved, pale girl I had always searched for. Yes, I guess, you can count this as love. As I made my way upstairs, I briefly reflected on the incident that had first made it possible for me to cast my last resort attack. During all the action, I did have a lot of flashbacks of intensive practices on the Moon. I knew this attack was reserved for my Super form only. However, when the bee Youma had attacked Hotaru something inside me had snapped and I truly hadn't cared anymore. I wasn't the only one with surprises though. Recalling the brief energy aura that had frozen the Youma right in midair, I really wondered what that was about. Artemis seemed to be really spooked by the whole thing and I couldn't deny that I had indeed felt the brief sensation of approaching doom that a change was about to come with undeniable finality. And the aura was unmistakable one of a Senshi, of a Senshi with such destructive and dark powers that every demon would shudder before it, but yet with the same pureness that marked every warrior of the stars. I could be wrong, sure, and all that was just my imagination. If it hadn't been for Artemis' more than strange sudden display of fear, I would have surely told myself that it had indeed been my imagination. But with all those facts and impressions put together, I didn't believe in pure coincidence anymore. There was a mysterious, dark secret about my new girlfriend that I honestly wasn't sure if it would be a good thing to be uncovered. Quietly, I slid the door open and found Hotaru already under the covers and obviously asleep. Carefully, as to not wake the sleeping girl, I closed the door and tiptoed over to our beds. Looking down on the raven-haired beauty, I couldn't suppress a warm smile filled with happiness I had not imagined finding her here when I made the decision for this short vacation. Hotaru had not only rescued me from desperation, but about two to three years of sorrow. No, she had also shown me that love sometimes approached you in the most unlikely place and form. She was a blessing for my spirit and heart and whatever she might be, whatever Artemis - who was already snoring on the foot end of my bed - might think of her, in my eyes she would always be the one who saved my soul. I turned to leave when something stopped me. It took a few moments to realize that another hand had caught my own. A sudden feeling of déjà vu overcame me and I looked back at Hotaru who was very much awake - well, at least more awake than she had seemed to be mere moments before. Her eyes were pleading and shaded with a certain amount of fear. "Stay with me tonight," she whispered. I did not know if it was a question or a request, but my heart surely skipped a beat and my breath caught in my throat. Did she.? No, she was just as tired as I was and we had promised Artemis to not experiment with the power charging. She was scared to be alone and knowing how much our lives resembled each other, I could just imagine how often her sleep was restless. Nodding, I squeezed her hand and without a further word slid under the covers behind her. Briefly contemplating further options, I decided if we were already sleeping in the same bed, contact would be inevitable anyway. So I wrapped my arms around Hotaru's smaller form and was rewarded with a grateful sigh. A few minutes later we were both sound asleep. But it wasn't her with the nightmares, it was me.  
  
(Hotaru) There was no real wind, more like the slight, unnatural breeze of a ventilator or something. I stood in the middle of a surely once beautiful scenery, in front of the most marvelous palace I had ever seen - white marble was outlined with silver and blue, the top globes were gold. I couldn't quite identify the style, some elements were Greek some Roman, some totally different. Around the palace was a huge - and I mean HUGE - garden area with whole fields of flowers, plants and trees that I had never seen before and here and there were single, quietly spraying fountains. In the distance, the serene water surface of a silvery lake - ocean? - could be seen. All in all a peaceful atmosphere out of a picture book, if it hadn't been for the fires raging around the whole palace ground, the shouts and cries of an intense battle and the indefinable, yet unmistakable smell of death in the air. I realized that I ran but didn't seem to be able to stop. Around me terrified screams echoed over the raging fires and nearby explosion, I winced a little at each one. But there was no time, nobody could rescue these unlucky victims, even if I desperately wished there was a way. The battle had already been lost before it began, the Kingdom would fall, the only thing left to do was to make sure the Princess and Queen would be saved. Huh? Those weren't my own thoughts or were they? Now, that I thought about it, I felt a little out of place and my body didn't behave like it used to do, as if it wasn't even mine. Not mine? Yes, I could feel another presence right beside me but this one didn't seem to be aware of me. I was more like the silent, observing watcher. Was I dreaming? Yes, I think I was dreaming. But not about me. I, or the person I was currently hosting, suddenly screeched to a halt when a shadowy figure emerged out of fire-lit darkness. The man wore a gray uniform with a cape and had neck-long white hair, not of the old-age quality but strikingly handsome. His steps were firm and straight as he headed directly towards me. I felt my host's body tremble a bit and the eyes following every movement of the stranger. No, no stranger. The man was familiar to my host, quite familiar. While she was watching the man intently, I briefly caught the sight of a blue planet hanging like a pearl in low orbit from wherever I was. And in that moment the where and who became clear to me. This had to the Moon, the Silver Millennium area - precisely its downfall - and this was Minako's dream of Venus and her final confrontation with her. lover? Yes, Earth General Kunzite, Guardian of the Prince once was the Senshi of Venus' lover until he and his three comrades were turned by Beryl and Metallia. Kunzite stopped a few feet away from Venus. Both guardians stood there for several seconds, oblivious to the battle sounds all around them. There were no words traded, no time stalled. Venus cast a single hopeful glance at her lover and was met with the unmistakable response of two purple energy blades forming in the white-haired generals hands. Venus overcame a sinking feeling in her heart because although she had known the confrontation would come, she had hoped beyond hope that it could somehow been prevented. Yet now she was facing the cold reality of life. Her beloved had been taken over by the evil power of Metallia and I felt a sudden wave of grim anger and disappointed that the finest general of Earth, had not been able to withstand it when his Prince was able to. Was our love not strong enough compared to the love of Serenity and Endymion? Were we not meant for each other after all? Did it really have to end like this? Kunzite rushed forward but I met him in the middle. Lashing out with my trusted golden heart chain, I jerked the surprised general forward and with one quick motion had bored my own sword right into his chest. Sparks of golden energy flowed from the wound and the magical blade and the purple twin blades clattered to the ground, dissolving into nothing. Adonis' words suddenly rushed through my mind with absolute clarity. You are cursed to never truly love, only your mission remains. You are born to fight, the fight is your only purpose. I knew he had been jealous of Kunzite and I, but I think in some sarcastic way he had been right. I had loved Kunzite with all my heart but he was turned against me, I was forced to kill him, what was there left to love? But also, what was there left to fight for. When our thoughts became one, I did not know. I felt like Venus and I thought like her, I suffered like her. Gently lowering Kunzite's beaten and dying form to the ground, I wept openly. For years, no decades, I wept for the only man I truly had cared for, the one who the Goddess of Love had given her heart to, just to have it taken away again by a sardonic, cruel twist of fate. Everything I believed fell to pieces in this one moment where I was forced to kill my one true love for the single purpose in my life to protect a now already doomed kingdom. "Kunzite," I whispered through sobs, "what have I done?" "Hush, Hebe. You..you did the right thing. I was weak, forgive me. I wasn't worth your undying love," Kunzite rasped out, the black energy cleared away by the pureness of my own blade. He was on the verge of dying and there was nothing I could do, I wasn't even able to speak. Kunzite reached out with one hand and brushed away some strands of my unruly hair. The smile he gave me was an attempt at cheering me up and a rueful note of self-misery. But over all those, there was gratitude. "Thank you, Venus and goodbye." With those final words Kunzite, First General of Earth, personal guardian of Prince Endymion took his last breath. My eyelids fluttered open as I awoke without warning, I had been so pulled into the dream that I had begun to lose myself into the displayed reality. It had once been the reality, a long time ago, thousands of miles away. I grunted a bit as I felt my ribs protest when Minako beside me nearly jumped out of her bed, breathing hard and sweating not only on her forehead. Realizing with surprising speed that we had indeed shared the same dream, I pushed away the short backlash of pain and my own shakiness about the experienced memory and sat up to draw the trembling girl into a tight embrace, all the while whispering soothing words into her ear, but my own grief became greater with every passing moment. "I didn't know," I said quietly after some time. No, I truly had not imagined what hardships the outwardly enthusiastic and vivacious blonde had to endure as a warrior, what sacrifices she was expected to make. I could have never imagined, how hard it was and felt ashamed for being so weak myself because compared to her, I could not imagine ever experiencing something like this. Couldn't I? No. I mean yes, I did. Mother died and. I lost her too. Yes, I could imagine how she must feel and what that memory alone had done to her life, even as far-reaching as her incarnation as Aino Minako. I understood and somehow I understood I was the only one to make it go away. I think we started kissing somewhere down that line of thoughts and I became more than aware of our closeness and the thin fabric of our nightgowns pressed together. I could not help the movements as one hand found her way under the clothing of my bed partner and began traveling up and down the bare flesh of Minako's back. The other girl shuddered visibly with arousal and a burning dread for comfort and closeness. "Raven, if you don't stop now." It was a half-hearted attempt and she knew it. We had both already crossed the line of no return with the shared dream. She knew that she needed me as much as I did her, because we were even closer than before, more similar than before, because we understood now that the only way to overcome our dreadful past was to create the spark for a new, hopefully better future together. "Hush, Hebe. Let me make it go away." And those were the only coherent words spoken or thought for several minutes before exhaustion finally lured us back into a much more relaxed and peaceful sleep. Tomorrow would be the dawn to a new future, a future were we would find happiness at last.  
  
That was all for now, the rest is censored. Well, if I ever get around to actually write down what happened that night, I might include that in a special file. *blushes* At least it was really, really fascinating, wonderful. healing, yeah it was healing, physically, spiritually and emotionally, I could not remember ever having felt this way for anyone, I think not even the way Hebe felt for Kunzite, it was just. wow. Ok, I'm better shutting up now or I'm taking everything away for the next issue. See ya then!  
  
Ja  
  
Minako  
  
Author's ramblings aka notes  
  
That kept me occupied for. a long time, two weeks almost. And it's only the first out of probably three issues. It did went very well and I'm pleased with the outcome, so was my beta. Thank you for the nice comments, Athenia!  
  
Let's see, what do we have to clear up. First of all timeline problems. I discussed that on my Minaru-group through several threads that were mostly heading for the direction of: How old is Minako at particular times and how does the loop theory (that the Senshi relive the year they thought the Dark Kingdom) work with Minako's trip to England and her being Sailor V in general. I won't go into detail here but there are some problems if you want to connect the timeline of V Mangas-England trip-beginning of BSSM. It is obvious that Minako had to be active over a year before the start of BSSM and that she is older then Usagi (one of the things I worked my head up with) than Usagi. Although there is an age conflict from Manga Vol. 2 to 3 that still doesn't makes sense to me (and does nasty things with my theory). I try to work this out during the next two issues. At the moment Minako is fifteen (on the verge of sixteen), meaning about a year after the relived year, Hotaru is 14 ½, since it's somewhere in Summer- Autumn, let's make that late Summer break for now. Sailor V does not exists in the memories of the world the same as the other Senshi do not, but the memories are there somehow. That is how Kathryn can remember. I know that I'm building a lot of this issue on Episode 41, which deals with Minako's stay in England and which I heart did never air in the American dub (could be mistaken though). But I think you can find a decent summary somewhere. Adonis/Danburite is a character from the V Mangas. I'm not going to explain all of that here (you have to read it yourself). What really is necessary for the story at the moment though, is that he did predict Venus a lonely future, solely dedicated to her mission, which I made fairly clear in the story. My beta told me that the fight scenes (at least the first one) reminds her of watching Matrix. That might be subconsciously in there, but most of my non-"Senshi magic" action is probably inspired by the countless (good) fanfics I'm daily receiving from my Buffy/Willow lists. Now. The energy boost, I admit I. err, borrowed that from the Buffy/Willow shipper "To thine oneself to be true" and modified will modify it a bit to go with my story. I'm fairly sure that Hebe has not been used as a name for the Silver Millennium Venus (but you can never really know). Hebe is the Greek Goddess of Youth (or something like that, it's not so easy to translate).  
  
That ought to everything for now. See ya, in Vol. 5 and please send me constructive feedback, arigato.  
  
Ja ne, yours  
  
Matthias 


	2. Vol.5 – From Soft Love to Passion

Title: (1st Generation) Sailor V, Vol.5 – From Soft Love to Passion

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew

Email: Minaru@gmx.de

Beta-reader: Athenia (earthwing@comcast.net)

Rating: PG-13, with some more _mature_ situations (bordering on R)

Pairing: Minako/Hotaru

Timeline: After Season 1; Prelude story arc to The 1st Generation. How Minako and Hotaru got together.

Summary: Minako is back in England, her memories have been triggered and Sailor V is born again when Youma show their ugly face.

Distribution: Starsinlove-group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove/), MAC (www.catstrio.de) www.fanfiction.net, ASMR (www.moonromance.com), anyone else you can have it but please ask first, 'kay?

Summary: Minako and Hotaru have acknowledged the love between them but will it hold? And what are those mysterious Youma seeking and how will the answer to this affect the new, still fragile relationship?

Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon/Sailor V belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei and Kodansha

Story Disclaimer: Copyright©2002 by Matthias Engel

(1st Generation) Sailor V, Vol. 5 – From Slow Love to Passion by Matthias

based on the works of Naoko Takeuchi

Senshi Diary Codename: Crescent, access only by registered and acknowledged members of the Royal Court.

Scan activated

Scan positive

Recognition: Senshi Saturn

Login: Private Journals

Receivers: Past Venus and Saturn

_Konnichi wa, you two!_

_Well, this time I'm typing… Ok, not so much typing than scanning all this diary entries. This issue will be told in a combination of diary entries and personal views (embedded in the diaries) from Minako and me. We found this most fitting since, ironically, both of us seemed to revert to writing down our thoughts and feelings after this night. Maybe it was a way of dealing with the whole unexpected situation, I don't know…_

_Anyway, I must apologize that Venus left you hanging at the end of the first issue. However, knowing you're a lot like my Minako, I guess you couldn't wait tearing open the next file. __J__ Ok, I'll stop babbling now… Geez, normally Minako is the talkative one of us two…_

(From the diary of Aino Minako)

Dear Diary… Does everyone always start like this… Ugh, that sounds… dumb. I mean the diary isn't a person, right? It's not like I'm writing a letter or something and even if, I don't think, I would like to always start a letter like this, it's… too normal. Otherwise what else is there to begin with. "Konnichi wa, minna"… Nah, I don't even know if anyone will ever read this and I like my thoughts to be private, even if I am a rather open person. After all, that's the purpose of a diary. A personal… personal… something. At least something personal, that nobody else should know or see, just for me… Why am I writing this then? To amuse myself? I could think of many other things that would do the job better. 

To organize my thoughts? Yeah, maybe… It got pretty confusing in the last weeks and last night was definitely the weirdest event of all. So, I think, that's why I'm writing this. If I would not force myself to sit down here and write all this, I guess I would get to think about it. I'm just glad Ami doesn't see this, she'd probably think I want to try working more for school next.

I'm getting ahead of myself and did already fill a lot of lines without even beginning the purpose of why I began writing a diary. So, I'll get to this now. Normally I would go and begin this with a repeat of things that had lead to last night, but then I probably have to tell you my whole life story to whoever reads this later on. So I'll skip that and get down to the morning after that night that had truly changed my life in all its aspects.

When I awoke that night from one of the occasional Senshi dreams about the Silver Millennium, I had been disorientated and emotionally distraught from this particular experience of Hebe's memories and so, I wasn't at all prepared for Hotaru's advances. Advances? I don't even know if they were meant as such. One thing simply led to another and before we really realized where it was going, it was already happening. As an afterthought, I think it was better that way and as rushed as it seemed, we might have never come to what we have now if we had stopped and thought about our actions. I'll try to tell you this now as accurate and realistic as possible. I might do that a lot of times later on so don't get confused. This is what happened when I awoke after a night of – for lack of better words… mind-blowing physical interaction. (Now don't get any ideas, ok?)

When the first beams of morning sunlight – morning sunlight near London! – pierced through the curtains and illuminated the figures of the two girls and one cat in the one small bed, while the other one was prepared but unused, I was already awake. I had been awake for a few minutes already… If I thought about it, it might have come closely to half an hour. Silently and with a content smile, I watched the peacefully sleeping figure in my arms, occasional brushing some stray hair out of her face and tracing the soft, sweet features with one finger, always careful to not wake the little raven.

While I sat and memorized each curve and hair of my new… lover, I thought back to the previous night and could not help to smile even more with honest, open joy and bliss. When the kissing was good, I tell you the more physical expression of feelings was incredible beyond humanly imaginable. I was just glad that the bungalows were all quite a distant away from each other, otherwise people might have complained about the noise.

Why I had so willingly let Hotaru – to put it simply – have her way with me? There had been many factors. One was the extreme edginess after battles, it was sometimes like a rush and created an physical awareness that was hard to calm and often manifested in troubled, unsteady sleep – in the best of cases. Even though Artemis despised the expression, I came to think of it as "Senshi lust". Normally, I would be able to suppress it, the Kami knows I did it before. But with Hotaru, it was unlike as with any of the others. With Allen, I had been too young, and most of the in-between crushes didn't really count. Hiroshi, for him I might have given in someday, but it never came to it because he pushed to quick. Hotaru though didn't solely want it, instead the base of her intentions were pure and of pure concern for me. And her instincts had told her the best way to comfort me at this moment was to take the pain the dream had created away in that manner.

Another reason was that after the dream, I truly didn't care anymore about restrictions and holding back. Through the short time we had been together, I had felt so warm and secure that I truly could not resist the pull anymore. The signals all my senses as the Senshi of Love gave me, indicated that this girl, as mysterious she might be, was probably my only real chance for love, a love that Kunzite had hoped for me to someday find and that Adonis, in his jealousy, predicted me to never find. True love. With the exception of Kunzite, I had never felt so connected to someone and when Hotaru presented me with the option to deepen our quickly progressing relationship, when she showed me that she held all these feelings deep inside of her too, then I wasn't able anymore to resist.

Too deeply into the act, nobody had thought much about consequences. Even if Hotaru was almost a year younger than me she should not have the physical requirements for the act. However, I had discovered quickly that this was a false assumption. The firefly had been astonishingly capable for her young age. We didn't consider the fact that neither of us had ever done this before, especially not with another girl, and just acted on instinct alone… With very potential results, mind you. In the end, none of us had thought about rushing things, about the consequences and hardships behind and ahead of us. To put it in simple words, too simple to describe the act and still all so true, we had MADE love.

"Morning, Artemis." I didn't look up. For some reason, that probably had to do with him being a cat – his time sense almost always let him wake up about the same time. Which didn't help his laziness of course. And on the rare occasions where I was awake at that time, I could probably set the clock after his waking pattern. I was surprised though to not hear the usual morning grumpiness that was also a distinct part of the pattern and looked up from my "Hotaru study" to meet a totally baffled look in my partner's smaller face, staring at me – at the two of us – with a mixture of intensity and blankness. I had totally forgotten that Artemis, who by the way was still on the otherwise unused bed, had actually snored through the whole cries and pleas, not to forget the – to say it with his words "creepy energy that let the hair stand in all directions". We had been too busy to really notice, but from a few glimpses I had caught of him during the whole interaction, I knew from experience that World War III could have broken loose and he wouldn't have woken up.

Slowly Artemis blinked twice, then a third time and just heaved a very heavy sigh with a meaning I could not identify as either relief, frustration, annoyance or resentment. The change in his eyes though told me that he wasn't fully pleased with what had obviously transpired last night. He had gotten up, trotting over to us, jumping carefully on the bed to not wake Hotaru and rewarded me with a stern glance which I knew all too well. I lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "You just said no kissing. I can't do anything about it, if it's part of the game." Artemis did a double-take, blinked again, then blanched and shook his head with another sigh of resignation.

"You really think she is dangerous, huh?" I asked chidingly, not about to drop the matter. I wasn't in any need to have my mood subdued, but knew that this conversation was fated to happen anyway after the events with the Youma yesterday. My gaze was met with one of stern and worry. For some reason, I believed that he had a distant idea about Hotaru's unusual prowess. Freezing a Youma as strong as the one yesterday simply in place was nothing either me or the other Senshi would have been capable of and the feel of the aura still send shivers down my spine – I could not ignore that. I was worried about Hotaru's well-being and if there was anything I should know, I wanted to know it. "As much as I want to be happy for you, I do fear her, yes. Not the person she is but the person she might become. You are wandering a small path and if she is really S… Who I think she is, then it might be the path into oblivion… not only for you."

I wanted to ask him what he meant by this and especially who he thought my sweet firefly could turn into causing such a menace, but a soft moan made me withhold that question. Instead I looked down to see Hotaru stirring slightly until her eyes slowly fluttered open to be greeted by a warm smile and a short but tender kiss, both willingly provided by me. Gently, I bent my head down until I had captured her lips with mine in a tender kiss which lasted close to half a minute. Hotaru sighed softly. "I want to wake up like this every morning." A mischievous smile crept into my face. "I'm sure we can arrange that, at least as long as we are here." With a suspicious look, I turned towards Artemis but was met once again with an expression of surprise.

"What now?" I demanded annoyed. Artemis shook his head slightly and rubbed his forehead with one paw. "I didn't feel anything," he replied, as if it was a great mystery and something that he was really worried about. "You didn't… Oh, oh _that_." He was referring to the energy. "I still think it is a wonder that we didn't send you up to the ruins of the Moon last night, but I think somewhere during last night we came to understand the energy a bit better. And through the… joining, I think it is more concentrated and inwardly than before. So… No more wigging, Artemis, you should be happy."

"I don't know if I can be happy about this." With an audible groan, he jumped down from the bed and trotted in the directed of the door. "What's done is done. Since I assume your… activities recharged both of you there is no need for resting. Instead, we can use the day and investigate the incident from yesterday AND we really have to train your new abilities, Minako." With that he slipped out of the room. And left us alone.

Artemis had been in one of his moods again and I really wanted to beat the crap out of him for nearly ruining an utterly perfect morning and most of the rest of the day. I didn't do it because I saw the necessity to get to the bottom of this mess. This latest incident could have cost us our lives, if not for the many small miracles initialized by Hotaru. I had a really bad feeling about this and it wouldn't become any better the more time passed.

The first thing we did was speaking with Kathryn about every little detail that she and her comrades had found. It hadn't been much, but we had received a sample of "Youma Ooze", eww… Artemis had said that he would send that thing back to Luna in Japan to analyze it. How he did that? Don't ask me, I know better than to question him about things like that.

There hadn't been a real pattern to the attacks except that both Youma were somewhat insect-based. That wasn't really helping though. Two youma were too few to be sure about their origin and on the other hand, they seem to like copying insects or relatives of the family anyway. That left us in the dark about the source of all this because we both came to the same understanding that there had to be a hidden source, some sort of new enemy. The first youma might have been a stray one but the second? No. Definitely not.

The rest of the morning and almost the complete afternoon had been eaten away by a very complex and tough training session. I was used to Artemis' drill methods, but today he really put me through a lot. At least, I think that the training had really been good for me. In the short time I had been able to more or less master the Love-me chain without even needing an energy boost and after that, we had eventually called the session to an end.

My only real regret was that I felt I was neglecting Hotaru. Especially after last night's events – a topic Artemis and I had carefully avoided since that morning. I could not help but feeling guilty. The day had given me time to think and while I had not even once regretted our choice, I knew very well that the real test to our fresh relationship was yet to come and the developments from last night might have put us in an uncomfortable situation for both of us. It was never good to rush a relationship and I strongly believed that it was not good to jump in bed with the other person the second night they met.

Don't get me wrong, I trusted Hotaru and my belief was unbroken that the love between the raven and me was of a very special kind and not so easy to shatter. I was just worried that… that… I don't, I was just generally worried, that's all. My relationship record wasn't the best – a vast understatement I know – and I didn't want to scare Hotaru away. I don't think I could bear another loss, I don't think I could bear losing HER.

Kami, was I in for a surprise when I came home.

(From the diary of Tomoe Hotaru)

I feel… great. That might be the biggest understatement in the history of mankind, but I simply and honestly feel great. Last night was… great. Yeah, okay, I keep repeating myself with this oh-so-unworthy word, but I can't put it into words. Though I sometimes love to write poems and other things just to keep my mind occupied with something in the lonely hours at my father's home, the times where I couldn't get out, wouldn't be let outside, now I simply feel my inspiration drained to a point where great words leave me. I could have never imagined all this could happen to me in the span of merely two days. To me of all people! I mean, hey, insecure, unloved, despised, social outcast here, that's me! Not lover to a gorgeous blonde secret shoujo hero who is absolutely cool, fun to be with and very attentive to her friend's needs and problems. I was never really freaked about loving another girl, no, that never was the real question. After all, if you'd be like me, you would jump at any chance you were presented with also, right? Boy or girl, what is it in the end? What matters is that we love each other, that is the bottom of the matter and nothing can ever change that… I hope nothing can.

When Minako left early and not returned for the day, I was a bit worried and maybe even hurt that Artemis dragged her off after our first night really together. There had been so many questions left unanswered, so many tiny doubts in the air that wouldn't go away until we had time to talk about it. I had felt bad having doubts. After all, Minako seemed to fully trust me last night as she had opened up without any resistance, without any mental shields. I had felt things I never did before. However, I couldn't get the idea out of my head that I maybe pushed her away, moved to fast, took advantage of the situation, knowing that she couldn't… wouldn't resist. I felt, as if the physical act maybe had the impression that I – as disgusting as it sounded to me – just wanted to have her in bed, to get the energy kick or something entirely different.

I do love her. I never have been so sure about anything in my whole, miserable life. But did I bring this message across? Did I truly tell her in any words possible how much I cared and how much I wanted to be with her? Maybe I did and I didn't realize, maybe I didn't. But the truth was I wanted to show it to her, for real this time. I had to do it today, when she returned from her training. I had to show her that last night wasn't a mistake, wasn't a desperate call of our tortured souls for comfort and compassion. And I knew the perfect, most simple but yet effective way of doing so.

Humming a soft, melodic tune quietly to myself, I put down the last candles on the veranda and then stepped back to inspect my work. After a few moments of critical inspection, a rearrangement over here, one slightly to the left there – yes, that was perfect. _Minako won't be able to scrape her jaw off the floor for at least ten seconds._ I chuckled to myself, for the moment pleased with my own work. All around the veranda there were candles of different color and size, illuminating the area and creating a slightly eerie but extremely beautiful twilight effect. In the center of the whole setting stood the simple garden table, neatly prepared with a thin, silk tablecloth in light purple with sprinkles of gold. A plate and two bottles were placed on top of the table between two sets of cutlery. I looked up and saw that the crescent moon was out spending its own twilight. All in all, perfect.

After Minako had left, I had much time to think and finally came to the conclusion that I had to do something special for her. She had saved me two times now; she had let me into her life with all those secrets and loneliness. She had let me take this loneliness away. And then there was last night, something I thought I could never really repay. I had to make sure that she stayed--she couldn't run away like all the others who came close to me. For once, I would not let this happen.

After thinking hard, I had come up with this idea. I was far from an expert on romantic matters. I never had much use for it, so a simple romantic dinner had to do. However, the set-up clearly bore my mark. Back home I liked to collect lamps and bath my room in the comforting glow between light and darkness. I knew exactly how and where to set any candle to create the atmosphere I wished for. Now I could only hope that Minako shared my opinion about the veranda's serene atmosphere.

A tickling sensation in the base of my neck told me that Minako was home – right on time. If I hadn't been able to sense her presence, I might never have heard her coming and therefore couldn't have prepared myself. Minako was moving with an almost cat-like grace as I discovered in the last days and if she wanted to, she could be the perfect definition of stealth. However, with the bond steadily growing stronger, I always knew whenever she was there. It was an awareness unlike any other, exclusively meant for the two of us. I couldn't sense any other people, just her.

That was enough though. Glancing down at myself, I made a last adjustment to my simple, extremely light violet – almost white – dress and then went inside to greet my new girlfriend – I couldn't suppress the tiny blush when I thought about that. I met her just as she came into the living room and instantly worried if I shouldn't better wait until tomorrow with this. She looked exhausted and totally worn out from whatever training Artemis had put her through. But I couldn't pull back now, after all she was bound to see the candles anyway and… An idea struck me.

Greeting her with a warm smile, I tossed back my hair a little for effect and received the most pleasant reaction, when Minako stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes focused on me, trying to take in every detail all at once, even Artemis walking in just behind her stared past his mistress, clearly not expecting this. "I see you had a hard day," I said sympathetic and crossed the room in a few quick steps, standing right in front of her before she could as much as blink. "Let me make it better," I whispered into her ear and saw her shudder with sudden anticipation, before I boldly took her face in my hands and gave her a kiss. It was nothing really demanding or overly arousing, just a sweet, deep kiss with the expression of all my love, but furthermore filling her with energy.

Minako moaned a little as I stepped back, not wanting to break contact so soon. I laughed lightly and shook my head at her. "Not now, Aino-chan, I just needed you to be able to survive this evening." The way I said it, I was sure she wasn't able to tell if I was joking, mocking or threatening. Chuckling again, I took her hand and led her towards the veranda door with Artemis curiously following behind us. All the better, he could and should see to what I was ready to do for Minako.

When we exited the bungalow the Moon was just coming out from behind some clouds, its light falling in an angle smoothly synchronizing with the candles and mirrored in a beautiful way on the near water's surface. Minako stood stock still, not daring to even move a muscle as she was overwhelmed by the incredible atmosphere of the setting – just as I had expected. I thought I heard Artemis choking back an exclamation, his eyes darting between the setting, his charge and me.

"Do you like it?" I asked innocently, although I had seen enough already to answer my own question. My voice seemed to break her out of her trance and she slowly turned around to me, her eyes searching mine and when they met, she jerked a little from the intensity of the emotions dancing there. Suddenly taking my hand in hers, Minako answered my own love-filled gaze with one of her own and her voice was barely above a whisper. "Ho… Hotaru, that's beautiful," she breathed, her voice trembling. It was the first thing she said to me since she entered the house and it made my heart jump with joy. Her expression was full of wonder but beyond any doubt that she was definitely deeply touched by what I had arranged.

"I…" I searched for my own voice trying to explain myself, since I saw the question already in her eyes. "I thought that we maybe moved a bit too fast last night… no, not I, I mean, I thought that it might appear a bit to fast and we hadn't even had a date yet… So I thought I needed to show you how serious I take this relationship and wanted to know if you do too, because I don't want to leave it with last night and I hope you don't also and…" Minako leaned forward, silencing me with a quick, short kiss on the lips. "It's wonderful and I really don't know how I earned all of this, how I earned you." I smiled shyly and replied with open honesty. "You deserve everything I can give you and everything that I can't. I never felt so good before in my life than with you. Sometimes I think it is all a dream that I never want to wake up from but… It isn't and that only makes me more happy." Extending my hand I stopped myself with a smile and a nod towards the table and our dinner. "Shall we?" Minako, totally baffled by my answer, took a moment to register my question but when she did, her face radiated a strong happiness that could have surpassed the faint silver glow from the crescent moon above. Wiping a stray tear out of the corner of her eye, she gradually took the offered hand and we moved together towards the table. Neither one of us noticed Artemis retreating silently and with a – if we could have seen it – totally unreadable expression in his face.

_I have to cut in here for a moment because I really think you should say, what was going through my head at this time. It's not going to be very long… Well, at least Hotaru let's me write something unlike Minako. *sigh*_

(Memory Crystal Recording of Artemis)

When they walked towards the set table, lost in each other's eyes and the compassionate presence of each other, I sharply turned around and strode back into the house, just to slowly make my way upstairs and hopped from one of the windows onto the roof. There I stayed and curled up, resting my head with a heavy sigh. There I finally let myself allow a few tears and strangled choking noise to pass through my reserve.

"Forgive me, Luna…" I murmured. Hotaru had surprised me as much as she did Minako and when I witnessed the interaction and feelings displayed first hand, I realized for the first time that they were truly happy. Tomoe Hotaru made my Venus finally happy. And that frightened me, it scared me beyond possible because I knew that now I would be unable to eventually put a stop to things, if my assumption about her hidden powers and heritage proved right. Unawakened she didn't prove a serious threat, but I had no idea what constant company in the presence of another Senshi could and would trigger, especially with a Senshi that mated with her hidden identity's reincarnation. That could lead to a catastrophe. But still…

"I cannot tear them apart now." Looking down from above I saw the two girls eating and quietly talking, communicating more with their eyes and over their connection than with spoken words. No, if I broke this up – and Serenity forgive I did think about it the whole day –, that would not only destroy Tomoe Hotaru and do the Kami-knows-what to her reincarnated soul. No, it would also crush Minako – harder than with Allen, harder than with Hiroshi. Hell, even harder than it crushed Hebe when she had to deal with and kill a possessed Kunzite. And I could and would never ever forgive myself for that. I loved her too much for that. Minako meant to me far more than any of the other Senshi, maybe on some levels even more than Luna. She was like a child, a sister and a caring friend at the same time for me. I could not put our relationship in simple terms, but I was very proud to have the privilege to be her partner. Not because I was Hebe's. No, that was in the past. I was simply glad to be with Minako and seeing her happy…

I closed my eyes tightly and tried to shut out the faint sounds of conversation from below reaching my sensitive cat ears. "Forgive me, I could not live with that." Before I would hurt Minako like this, I would more likely kill myself, may the price be even that high. Nothing was worth more to me than to see the self-proclaimed Goddess of Love finally completely happy with someone, with someone who understood her, was willing to take her as she was. Someone – and after what I've seen minutes before I was sure of it – who loved her with everything. Body, Mind, Heart and Soul – ok the last part was a bit tricky. Tell me, if you were in my position, could you take this away from her, from them? No, I don't think so.

Looking up at the Moon, presenting itself in a full crescent tonight, I wondered what Serenity would have said. I knew both Queen and Princess had a soft spot for the most deadliest of Senshi. No, not particular the Senshi, but her cruel fate and I also knew that Hebe, despite my own uncomfortable attitude towards the topic, hadn't argued against that. It could not be helped though. What done was done and I had the sinking feeling that all this was planned from the start, especially when I recalled how we all met together here. "Did you do this, Serenity? Did you send her here?"

Only the wind rustled but there wasn't an answer in it – which I could tell without being Uranus. I sighed again and decided to stay outside tonight because from the look of things, the two newfound lovers below wouldn't stay in their state of soft communication for the whole night. "May the world be damned, at least they are happy. That's all that matters to me."

(From the diary of Aino Minako)

I'll spare myself any form of opening because… well, I think I made it clear in the first entry…

The passed week has been wonderful and rather uneventful. Things settled down after these two hectic days with two Youma fights and Hotaru and my relationship getting a whole new dimension. The little raven was wonderful. I never met someone like her. She inspires me, makes me do things that I would normally not do. I became the protector part and often felt myself reminded of the first time when I met up with the other Senshi after I had left England. Sadness had clouded my thoughts often then and I had thrown myself into my given role as the team leader, acting all serious and mature.

Hotaru makes me act all serious and mature too, not always, but especially when there is potential danger or when she opens up and tells something about her past and family. Unlike the first time, I do not really despise being that way. It was a reversion of roles, I am not any longer the sole female part, I am suddenly doing tasks that normally would fall to the male part. Not everything though, but a lot of things. And I like it, I have to admit I like being the more dominant partner… Ok, that sounds like I like being in charge of Hotaru… Err, how to say it… Hotaru brings the best out of me, I think. I see it as my primary task to ensure her safety and make her happy. In all the other relationships, I had often let the boys do the effort of courting as it should be. But the mechanics between two girls are a little different as I found out. Firefly clearly doesn't seem to mind and she is quite good at wrapping me around her little finger too – especially considering the dinner quasi-date on our second evening.

In return, I discovered a few things more about my girlfriend too. She doesn't talk that much about her childhood, but that doesn't surprise nor bother me. Losing a parent was bad enough, living with the realization that the other one is slowly drifting away from and neglecting you… I sometimes think my parents are bad because they often ignore me, however, compared with Hotaru's family situation, I think I have it rather good.

The attacks caused by her unhealthy physical state aren't that frequent as they used to be and often only occur when we are separate for a longer time – which rarely happens. Artemis suspects that our connection and the energy sharing is responsible for that and I am bound to agree with him. That also meant that I didn't cure her or something, but that I just make it a little better. Maybe we could find something later on… The Ginzuishou could… No, no way. I don't even know if the others would ever be reawakened, even if it becomes more and more likely with every passing day. Luna and Artemis would strongly protest and while I wouldn't put it behind Usagi to try, even I thought that Hotaru's strange powers which make even Artemis extremely nervous, colliding with the silver energy wouldn't be such a good mix.

As I already told you, the week was great. Nothing much happened since the bee Youmas in the center. There was a minor one three days ago. I had a good target practice with it and was able to test my new skills with the Chain and Shower. Apart from that, I could really get used to this vacation after all. Artemis and I are still out long during the day, training and tracking potential trails, but Hotaru and I still have time to enjoy some quality time alone with each other. The usual things couples use to do. Movies, long walks at the lake, romantic dinners – compared to me, Hotaru is a tremendous good cook, not as good as Mako-chan though. With Hotaru, all of this feels special. No, it doesn't just feel, it IS special. And isn't that the best reason to believe that we are truly meant for each other? When everything you do, every touch, every word of love, means the world for you… That ought to be a good sign, right?

Like all good things, even this peaceful time came to an abrupt end, but considering that I was a Senshi that didn't surprise as much as how this ending finally came.

The sun was already setting when we arrived at the festival. Apparently we had chosen a good time for our vacation. There was a small festival in town and Kathryn had invited Hotaru and me. We were really getting along great and I was gradually becoming glad about this. Hotaru and Kathryn had quickly taken a liking to each other and Hotaru's English had already improved well in this last week. I was just glad though that Allen wasn't here. Not that I wouldn't like to have him here, but with the double memory and the whole complication in the last loop… Nah, not worth the trouble. Kathryn had told me that Allen was studying for his first college semester this past few weeks and wouldn't show up unannounced while she was still on recruiting duty.

I looked around and saw that for the late hour the festival didn't spare with visitors and most of the booths and stands were pulsating with activity. People were playing games here or simply getting drunk there. A few children were occupying the three carrousels and some of the couples as well as whole families were drawn to the huge ferry wheel. All in all, the party was in full swing and there was few that I liked more. I think I was practically bouncing with anticipation because Hotaru gave me some funny looks while Kathryn – knowing me a bit longer – never even blinked.

"Reminds me of the times, you, me and Allen used to do this," my old friend said after a while taking in the sights. I actually expected to feel a pang of pain at the mention of this time because I knew that in bringing us three together had made it possible for Allen and Kathryn to first meet. I glanced at Hotaru and suddenly took her hand, making her jump slightly. "As long as you don't go snatching my girlfriend away this time, that's okay with me." Hotaru blushed a bit because I had spoken fairly loud and clear, drawing some attention, but I think by now every single tourist in this tiny city knew about us. I was far from shy in showing the world that we were together. That might not be normal Japanese custom, but I was a reborn Venusian, and we were like this… Also, that's way everyone else would think more closely before challenging me about Hotaru.

Kathryn though seemed to have taken my semi-jokingly comment serious as she turned to me with a honest apologetic expression. "Gomen nasei, Minako-san, I…" I shook my head at her and smiled. "Don't worry, I wasn't expecting you to. I think you would never drop Allen and I don't think you're quite on our side of the team." Now I actually made Kathryn blush scarlet and she quickly stammered out. "Uh… no…"

Using that amazing talent of mine, I turned from serious conversation to eager anticipation. "And now let's go, I want to enjoy this party!" With that, I pulled a helpless Hotaru after me and Kathryn laughing light-heartily tried to catch up.

We spent nearly three hours nonstop racing from one attraction to the other and throughout stuffing masses of food into ourselves that even Usagi would be proud of. I shot some prizes and even outmatched Kathryn by one hit. Hotaru merely enjoyed the carousels and my attention and I was enjoying giving her my full attention. Even though the last days had been quiet, the undeniable feeling of menace in the air and the anticipation before the next move of our unknown enemy was straining not only my nerves, but Artemis' too and was rubbing off on Hotaru in the process. I think we all had earned some relaxing, just us, no Youma to worry about, no training, just fun… Ha ha, as if that ever went well.

It happened when we were in the Ferris Wheel, relatively close to the top. Hotaru had her head lying on my shoulder, exhausted from the "most fun she ever had in her life". She tended to say that a lot about many things, but considering what a hard and miserable childhood she had lived until this point, I could not hold it against her. Kathryn was looking over to the lake glittering in the evening, midnight moonlight and I was absently stroking Hotaru's hair, letting my thoughts wander once again through all these events of the past week that had changed my life so dramatically.

Again the slight tingle of superhuman senses give me a mere second warning before a loud crash could be heard and the screaming started below. All three of us jumped up, pressing our noses against the window to see better; Artemis jumped onto my shoulder and frowned. Below us the crowd was in a near panic as somewhat green-looking creatures ravaged through the helpless people. I could not see more from here but I felt another presence nearby, a stronger presence, a… familiar presence. As hard as I tried I couldn't remember the aura, so I gave it up for the moment.

"Stay here," I advised before kicking open the hatch and attempting to climb the cabin. Hotaru grabbed my arm and turned me around for a quick but passionate kiss. "Be careful," she pleaded with a hand on my cheek. I smiled slyly. "Wouldn't want to disappoint you."

With that, I made a jump and soon stood atop our cabin. Apparently the power had been cut or turned down because the Ferris Wheel had stopped completely. Taking a quick glance around, I noticed that all eyes from the passengers were drawn downwards. Raising my compact I called out: "MIKAZU POWER TRANSFORM! TURN ME INTO A PARACHUTIST!" Hey, come on, even as a Senshi, I wasn't going to jump from up here and hopping from cabin to cabin seemed to me a bit slow. Diving down in a kamikaze manner, I once again marveled how well the mirror worked. The parachute opened up right on time and let me glide down smoothly. Three meters over the ground I pulled out my pen and transformed, for now abandoning the usual speech pattern because I didn't think the… uh, trolls?… wouldn't pay attention anyway.

"CRESECENT BEAM SHOWER!" Filled with energy from the already standard boost and good luck  kiss from Hotaru, I rained a deadly shower of energy beams down on the trolls, surprisingly hitting every target and dissolving it on the spot. _I cannot help it but something seems to feel familiar about this_, I thought while scanning the area for more enemies. "Trolls are mostly Venusian creatures and therefore subordinate to the planet's elemental aligning to metal." I blinked and raised an eyebrow at Artemis, not really daring to ask how he got down here so fast. "You mean it is, if Mars would fight little green martian and no matter what we would still win?" Artemis sweatdropped but nodded.

A light, somewhat gentle, but far from friendly laugh rang over the now almost vacant area of the festival. "You didn't change at all, Hebe, did you?" My body followed the sharp movement of my head moments later when I whirled around, once again feeling this familiar presence. The voice was awfully familiar too and when my eyes finally spotted the slim figure on the roof of the spook house, a sudden memory flash from my past life pushed its way forward.

Very light red hair with one streak of silver and one of gold on opposites sides framed a fragile looking face with sparkling deep black eyes. The bare flesh of the slender legs and arms was merely hidden by the grayish-green top and the identical piece of panties. High and heavy black heels were covering her feet and a ruby necklace hang loosely down between her – well-developed – breasts. The most distinctive mark apart from the marking hair streaks however, were the mint green-marine blue butterfly things sparkling in the pale moonlight. A Venusian elf. And not only _an_ elf. No, this one was an elite warrior as well as a master mage, not to mention Hebe's best friend from her childhood days on Venus.

"Priapos," I whispered, my eyes wide and my breath caught. The elf I recognized as Priapos, high-ranked, ten-star Efadio – the elfin warrior class – looked down at me with an amused expression. "Why, Hebe, you look like you've seen a ghost… Oh wait, that probably is right from your point of view." The following piercing laugh was so unlike the elf I remembered from Hebe's memory that I took a startled step back. "H-How…?" I managed to stammer out, oblivious to Artemis' warning looks. Priapos stopped laughing and suddenly glared at me with distaste. "Really, Hebe. I thought better of you than this. You are really willing to let this unworthy human lead your life? Come join us and everything will be as it once was. We will be together again."

I wasn't prepared for the bolt of dark energy crashing onto the ground right in front of me. The explosion took me off my feet and I landed hard a few meters away. I coughed scattered dust, not really hurt, but a little bit shaken. Though confused, I felt a wave of anger well up inside of me as I received a spark of her aura. Blackened, clouded… The nature elf had been corrupted by the Dark Kingdom as much as Kunzite and Adonis had been before. "I don't know what you are talking about, but I will never join my powers with demons and you as a nature elf, aligned to life shouldn't too."

My past self's one time friend held my heated gaze for several moments then shook her head sadly. "A pity that you don't want to see reason." As quick as the vine tendril wrapped around me, I didn't even have time to react before I felt my body bound and squeezed tightly. I squirmed and writhed under the pressure but to no avail. The tendril was almost steel-hard. No, I corrected myself, it WAS steel-hard. Metal combined with nature magic could be rather deadly and I remembered that Priapos always liked to combine her given Venusian gifts and her own race's elemental magic.

I had to bit my lower lip to not scream out as dark energy crackled along the vine tendril into my own body. Lifting my head, I pleadingly looked at Priapos. I – Hebe – didn't want to believe what one of my best friends had become. The duality of personality became rather conflicting at the moment and I couldn't concentrate clearly. Priapos laughed mockingly again. "Don't give me that look. If you really were the Venus I knew, you would never associated with this… earthling scum. They betrayed us, Hebe, how can you live with them, how can you love them…" She took a deep breath and I saw her eyes flame with rage I've never seen in the gentle elf's. "How can you _love_ a scrawny, tainted EARTH GIRL!!!" At the last words, her voice had became an indescribable high note and her dark aura intensified three-fold, fueled by her rage. Too late, I noticed the implied meaning and consequences of her words and too late I noticed that the next attack of two helix-like columns wasn't directed at me, but at the still motionless Ferris Wheel.

(From the diary of Tomoe Hotaru)

If I think about it closely, the events of that evening and the following days had made a great impact on myself and our relationship in general. The hardships resulting out of this particular event could have easily ripped us apart, though in the end, it probably brought us even closer together – not only me and Minako but also me and Hebe. To tell the truth, although it didn't bother me too much, I had always been a bit frisky about the former incarnation of my girlfriend. That night, when we first made love, I think I triggered something with my actions which became clearly obvious in Minako's reaction. While she still had been Minako in general, her actions, her behavior and the almost merciless love-making had frightened and excited me at the same time. That was not how a virgin – which Minako always insists she had been – would act. A memory personality, however, surely had some more experience about Senshi mating.

Yeah, mating. I think that is exactly the word I'm searching for, that's how it felt the first night and still feels often then we consummate our love again. I am still bearing the mark on my neck, though hidden mostly by my hair – which I have let grown a bit longer by the way, since Minako commented that it would look good on me.

I cannot write much more here because I still have to go into detail and it's already getting late. Tomorrow will be a hard day and maybe an even tougher one for both Minako and me than the last few days. I have to be well rested then.

Seconds passed while I stared out of the window, after the probably most impressive exit someone could make – especially if this someone was your still-fresh girlfriend. I think the tapping sound had to be my fingers nervously reacting to my overall and usual sense of worry whenever Minako went out to fight a Youma. That nervousness only increased when I was not able to actual see what was going on…

Where was a flash of gold from below, indicating that Minako had fully transformed, quickly followed by an eruption of golden, meteor-like but thin beams. Almost simultaneously with what my eyes took in, I felt a sudden… jerk in the back of my awareness, gently but firmly shaking along my bond with the other girl. I experienced the sudden sensation of being in two places at the same time because I could still see and act normally from my position in the Ferris Wheel but also seeing what was happening below through Venus' eyes… I just waited for some whispering voice to add "There you go" to the whole experience. It didn't come though.

"Hotaru-chan, daijobu ka?" Kathryn's worried voice brought me out what must have appeared to her as a sort-of trance. Still keeping the attention of my mind-eye on the battle below that was going surprisingly well, I turned back to the older girl. "Gomen, I think I just experienced another side effect of the mating." Kathryn raised a curious eyebrow at that and I realized that we hadn't told our friend how far exactly we had taken our relationship by now. I gave a sigh and simply explained what I experienced right at the moment. "I'm seeing what's going on down there. They don't seem so tough."

"You are seeing it? How?" Kathryn pried incredulously. "Through Minako… Or more Venus… maybe Hebe even… I dunno, it's complicated and they ARE more or less the same person," I tried to explain. The police officer rubbed her chin. "Interesting. Is that a Senshi thing? You said something about mating, that sounds so… final." I nodded absently to that than frowned as I picked up the new arrival on the battle scene below and the emotions of recognition and disbelief coming from my mate – I could not help but to think in terms like this when I was so deeply connected to her. Keeping close attention on the interaction of the two below, I continued explaining. "Minako thinks that Hebe thinks that the energy and all the other things we seem to be able to do is a typical sign for the Senshi finding _her_ mate."

"As in soul mate?" Kathryn clarified further, picking up quickly my emphasis on the her-part. "At least not a normal lover," I confirmed with a seriousness, without even blushing, which would have startled anyone who didn't know me and maybe even some of the few who did. But before I could actually register the bluntness of my statement fully, I gritted my teeth in pain, as I spun around to stare hard out of the window as if that would somehow increase my mind focus. "Something wrong? Did Minako get hurt?" Kathryn asked softly with one hand on my shoulders. I wasn't sure what kind of reply to give. I had felt Minako's pain than Priapos had wrapped her tentacle-like tendril around her but even stronger was the heart-wrenching pain of betrayal and anger about losing yet another friend to the other side.

"WATCH OUT!" I shouted suddenly as I registered the next blast wasn't meant for my mate but for the Ferris Wheel… To be precise, for me. Without hesitation, I pushed Kathryn down in a desperate attempt to do something. We quickly found out that this wasn't helping anything as the blast hit. The sound of metal bending and the feel of the cabin rocking wildly brushed past me as I nearly lost the connection when Minako's agonizing panic reached me, superimposing our shared connection before shutting completely down, giving way for another presence quickly pushing forward. That was the last impression I got before the connection shattered and with it, a portion of the cabin which was descending in free fall towards the ground.

I tried to hang on for dear life and was probably screaming, while Kathryn had managed to at least grip the seat in front of her and dangling from that now on one arm. I had managed to find a latch but the pull from the centrifugal force was nearly ripping my arm out of its socket. It all happened so fast that I had no time to prepare, in spite of the warning. As much as this part, the next part happened with equal speed. One moment we were falling surely to our death, the next I only knew that I was held by strong, familiar arms.

I glanced up and saw the cabin above us empty and hanging now on a loose, barely sparkling with energy, metal bar replacing the one destroyed in a more awkward angle. As I watched, I saw the energy flowing into the rest of the structure, replacing damaged metal where it was needed, before blinking out and leaving just a slight distorted Ferris Wheel behind.

"Nani?" I breathed surprised, my mind still jumbled from the near-death experience as I looked up into Venus' face searching for an answer in the mask-covered face… And noticed that for some reason she wasn't wearing her usual mask and the fuku wasn't exactly her disguised one too. There was no tiara, indicating that she had fully transformed – and I've seen it before – but instead the sign of Venus was shining softly on her forehead.

"Hush," Venus silenced me with a finger to the lips and I wasn't exactly sure who I had before me or better who was dominating in my girlfriend at the moment, but I knew for sure that Venus could not recreate metal, which left only one option. "There was no choice, my host's pain and our bond forced me to act." Venus' voice had an abnormal softness to it, a gentleness that didn't quite match my prior impression I got from Princess Hebe, but confirmed quickly that she indeed was the Goddess of Love, because… Well, nobody could manage to smile so gentle, peaceful, reassuring, soft and overall caring other than a Love Goddess, right?

Before I could process that line of thoughts or ask what would go on, I felt Venus' lips brush over mine and giving me the probably most incredible kiss of my life – apart from the kissing on our mating night maybe. But compared to that hungry and demanding exchange, the kiss Venus gave me now was gentle, feather-light and like a light drizzle of love… It left my whole body tickling all over and I felt so good that I could burst from the mass of giddiness inside. A gloved finger brushed softly over my cheek and under my chin, lifting it slightly to meet her soft but intense gaze. "Bonds are only formed with the full acceptance of the whole being. Keep that in mind, young one."

With that she let go of me and sat me down next to Kathryn – I had no idea of how she came down here too. Venus stood up and turned around, her features slightly hardening… accusing maybe, as she leveled glaring eyes at the elf who had followed the exchanged from a short distance with an unreadable expression.

"I think, you are missing the point completely," Venus said, her voice indifferent – which was scary with the girl who was normally the definition of emotion. Priapos blinked, her eyes a bit wide and unbelieving. "Hebe?" I could not help but think her voice for a split-second was completely natural, not laced with any evil influence. Venus didn't answer directly and didn't turn her eyes away, capturing the elf's gaze in hers. "Maybe, maybe not. You don't seem to understand a thing about reincarnation. The Priapos I knew, would never side with evil, she would die a thousands times and still not even think of it. You think I'm not Venus, that I am not _your_ Hebe? That Aino Minako is using me, influencing me? I tell you something, old friend. Aino Minako IS me. I am merely a part of her memory, a short remain of a past life who has found her peace a thousand years ago. We are one being, one person, but it is Aino Minako's life not mine anymore. You accuse us of not knowing who we are? We were more aware of what we are and where our place in this world is during these last weeks than ever before." While she said that, she averted her eyes slowly to where I sat stock-still and staring at her, which made me blush profusely. "I… and I mean all of me, is finally living and happy. You on the other hand, Priapos, I'm not sure if you truly know anymore who you are and where you belong. Maybe you should give some thought if you aren't the one being us..."

"SHUT UP!" Priapos flung a blast at Venus, but she merely stood there and the energy fizzled out in thin air a few inches in front of the Senshi. The elf recoiled from the thin golden aura around my mate and flapped her wings furiously to get some distance. "I don't want to hear it, not from you! I can't believe you became this. Earth betrayed you, the Silver Millennium was destroyed by this low-level, easy-to-control scum! How can you associate with those who have destroyed your past life and murdered thousands of innocents until they were the only ones left in this system? HOW CAN YOU?"

Venus didn't move, nor flinched and answered without hesitation and total sincerity: "Because they changed and I love them." Priapos shuddered at this reply and began to shake with anger. I thought she would attack any second, going on a rampage, but she didn't. Instead, her eyes hardened though barely-restrained tears. "THEN I HATE YOU!" she screamed, turned and flew off into the night sky, leaving behind a sharp and dreadful silence.

The intensity of the elf's outrageous accusation had taken me aback and I caught Kathryn flinching as well. Venus, however, was still standing there motionless, without any noticeable reaction to Priapos' words. The silence lasted a few seconds before I caught sight of one single tear streaking down the Senshi's cheek followed by a gut-wrenching sob making its way up her throat as she fell to her knees, intending to bury her face into the ground.

Instead she just found my chest as a pillow. I had already sensed what was coming long before it happened and had moved with an unnatural speed to intercept my uncontrollably crying girlfriend. Minako was beginning to shake violently as her transformation faded away and I felt Hebe instinctively shielding herself to spare Minako some of the amount of grief-stricken pain. The pain of losing and the hurt inflicted by this exact same, former friend. I just held her close until exhaustion overtook the blonde girl and unconsciousness claimed her.

A tired sigh escaped my lips as I closed the door to our shared bedroom and leaned against it for support. I closed my eyes and just stayed in that position for a few moments trying to think of nothing in order to stabilize my thought pattern again – something my mother had shown me before her early… departure. _Thoughts, can't have any of that. No thoughts. Just relax, peace… Good._

With my mind a bit less jumbled but still undeniably laced with a great deal of worry, I trotted down the stairs to the living room area where Kathryn and Artemis waited. It had not been as much of a problem to bring Minako back here because she was still out of it, but then there the worrying aspect THAT she was still out of it. Don't get me wrong. After such an experience I would probably also sleep up to a dozen hours, however Minako was just simply not responding to anything. I had tried to soothe her sleep and give comfort as well as I could but I could not reach her through our connection and that deeply troubled me.

"I take it she's still sleeping," Kathryn's usually quiet and reserved voice broke through my thoughts. It amazed me how modest and centered the older girl could be. Not really serenity, but a deep strength of character that wasn't easily troubled. But now, however, even her voice bore markings of worry that could just not be ignored.

"If you can call it sleeping," I replied and plumped down in the armchair opposite from the couch where she and Artemis had currently made a home for themselves. "I wouldn't think of it in the form of resting at least." I closed my eyes briefly, suddenly feeling very weary and tired. Not so much from the events of the day or the near-death experience from the battle, it was more an emotional drain in a manner I wasn't at all familiar or content with.

"It must be hard for her. To lose another person precious to her, even if only in a past life," Kathryn remarked sadly. "After all what she's been through. How much more has the girl to suffer before it's enough?" My eyes snapped open as I experienced the sudden and strong urge to defend my girlfriend. "And you would know how that is, right?" The police officer reacted as if physically slapped, flinching and then reverting her eyes downwards. I sighed yet again, repeating the mental exercise from before.

"Gomen, Kathryn-san, I wasn't thinking, that's all just a bit much all of a sudden." Kathryn met my apologizing gaze with a sad and remorseful smile. "It's okay, though I probably deserve it. I can hardly imagine what my actions in the past did to her, especially with the whole loop business further complicating things. I knew she forgave me but I still feel bad about taking Allen away from her right under her nose…"

"We wouldn't have found together, if you didn't," I interrupted quietly, causing my friend to look up surprised and a bit sharply. "Who says that? It never even happened as far as actual history is concerned. If I see you two, I could never imagine you not being meant for each other." The honesty in her statement startled me a bit but also the quiet accusing in it that chided me for thinking along such foolish lines. "What makes you think so?" I asked curiously. Kathryn seemed to be dead serious about it and if I was honest, I could need some reassurance myself after feeling so helpless as I was right now.

The older woman studied me for a moment, her features softening a bit. "I never saw anyone progress a relationship that quickly and take everything so naturally. It's not that I don't believe in love at first sight. But I hardly think that it is possible to achieve such a deep understanding of each other in roughly two days time with the final result of… what did you call it?… mating." I nodded silently, not quite convinced yet. "A relationship will always invoke problems, arguments and other things that are never present in an innocent girl's fantasy about the perfect boy… err, girlfriend. You two, however, just fit. There is nothing between you, that could cause a problem or shatter your love for each other."

Her gaze held my eyes locked for several seconds before I finally replied: "Then tell me, why she's shutting me out? Usually I should be able to soothe her pain, maybe to even see her dreams to a degree in order to understand the pain better. But I can't get through to her now, she's blocking me and… and I simply don't know what to do…"

"And that is simply a testament that your love is strong. Relationships are never easy, Hotaru-chan, and they require effort, from both parts. Even… No, especially in your case. Your pasts are not the most glorious ones and that will lead to more troubles than you can wish for. So don't break down at the first crisis, trying to somehow convince yourself that it's your fault. There will be times when it is different but Minako needs you to be strong for her right now."

A slow smile began to spread over my lips by the time Kathryn was finished because I realized that she was right. I had acted like a fool. This was by far no minor crisis but that only increased the necessity of my attention. Minako's mental state, and her refusal to let me in, had sent me into a frenzy albeit any rational thought. Kathryn was also right about our relationship being such a perfect miracle so far. Relationships, however, weren't perfect. Not in the sense that fairy tales always promised them to be. I could not expect anything to be smooth and perfect because that would clearly indicate that something wasn't right. _Order is what helps mankind to survive but it needs a certain amount of chaos for humanity to progress and develop_, I remembered some of father's private lessons. "When did you become the Goddess of Love here?" I replied with restrained amusement. Kathryn barely laughed either, though the exchange lightened our moods a bit. "Just a woman talking from experience."

Artemis coughed, interrupting us, as he jumped down from his place. "Now that this is settled, I might be able to tell you a bit about what Minako is most likely going through now." I eyed the cat closely, feeling a bit of envy at the fact that Artemis so simply could determine what I was denied but stomped down on that new dark emotion forcefully. The white cat knew my girlfriend far much longer when I even lived, including her reborn life. And that especially could be really helpful now. "Then tell me," I said softly but insistent, a silent plea in my eyes to tell me anything that could be of importance for me in order to understand Minako's pain. I needed to know, if I wanted to follow Kathryn's advice and be strong for my lover, if I wanted to truly help her.

Artemis looked up at me and after a few seconds of silence, his eyes softened and I fully expected a sigh to follow like it usually did. I knew he wasn't completely comfortable with me around Minako but had come to accept it and the way he looked at me now, I felt a bit flattered by the gentleness there. Hopping up to me, he actually settled down in my lap, looking up to me. "Okay," was all he said, before he began his tale of Hebe and Priapos.

I made sure to make no sound when I slipped back into the room, though I knew that Minako would be unresponsive at best anyway. She had been last night when Artemis was finished spinning the tale of the nature elf and my love's past life. That didn't surprise me as much as it hurt me. Kathryn's words still lingered in my mind at that time and I was far from surrendering so quickly, after all, I had sworn to myself to never ever lose her. However… It hurt to lay there, holding her with no reaction whatsoever to my display of comfort and love. I wasn't used to this form of sleep with Minako. Ever since the night we had consummated our mating, neither of us would hide nor block emotions in bed. We were totally open and even when we didn't do much more than snuggle, our thoughts, emotions, feelings were joined body, spirit, heart and soul. We would fall asleep as one, pass the night as one and wake up as one. As unusual as it sounds, I never imagined it could be different.

As I laid there awake last night, feeling cold and not complete, I could not sleep for a long time, although exhausted and tired. Artemis had told me that this most possibly was a way of her whole being – meaning all personality aspects – was dealing with the whole situation and after hearing from Artemis of exactly what nature Hebe and Priapos' relationship had been, I was not at all surprised.

The elf and young princess had met early in the childhood, long before the Venusian heir had been called for her service on the Moon as a Senshi and guardian to the Moon Princess. From what Artemis knew because he had never been present that time, Hebe had more or less accidentally triggered some of her given powers and saved the elf from a demonic counterpart spawn of the local elfin race. They became friends and ever since then, the nature elf practically worshipped the ground the young princess walked on. Hebe, being young, kind and innocent tended to ignore these antics and actually formed a bond of friendship with her admirer.

That, however, was bound to cause trouble, because Priapos originated from a rather low class of elfin breed. Nature elves were far from underclass, but only certain ones and those who possessed actual power and influence on the flow of their element were of any importance and treated with utmost amount of respect. The rest dwelled somewhere in at best middle class, their status lowered because their talents were not essential needed with the elder class arranging things. So it caused quite an uproar when the crown princess brought home a low class nature elf and intended to keep her as a friend. Fortunate for all involved parties, Hebe's mother, Queen Aphrodite, presented them both with the option of simply making Priapos sort of the Princess' personal counselor and bodyguard.

Priapos had accepted without hesitation and from that day on lived up to the bargain, training to quickly rise as well in power as in respect by her fellow kinfolk. She was kind of a revolutionist, demonstrating that the natural skill in combat with both physical and magical strength was not one to underestimate, which in turn inspired a lot of young lower class elves to rise to her example.

The bonds between princess and bodyguard had not even been shattered as Artemis made his appearance at court in order to prepare the crown princess for her role as Senshi and leader. That was until the day came they had to part ways. Young Hebe had to leave for the Moon and Priapos was not allowed to accompany her friend and princess. Artemis had not gone into details about the parting but I could well imagine myself what transpired then.

I sat down on the side of the bed and studied the girl still somewhat curled in a fetal position in an uneasy sleep that made my heart cry out for her. I wanted to reach out and soothe her pain as I was used to. But she wouldn't let me in and though I understood the reason, I couldn't accept the concept. We had already joined, there wasn't supposed to be any secrets and we did not only share our love but also the pain. She should let me help.

"She must have been like a sister to you and now you think you lost her forever," I said, maybe even more to myself than to the sleeping beauty next to me. Stroking her golden bangs I wondered again at the strange familiarity, the similarities of our lives – even if partly reborn. "I know that too, you know? I know how it is to lose a… someone important." Again I thought about Priapos' heated reply to Venus own words. _Then I hate you._ How much this must have struck, especially the part in her that was Hebe and as Hebe said they were one person, so it possibly hurt Minako just as much.

"It hurts, I know. Even though you know you were not responsible, you feel like it. You feel accused and dirty. Losing someone that way often is even harder than by dying." I sighed as familiar pictures flickered in front of my mind eye and I forcefully pressed them shut as if to block out the painful memories. "Even though you don't let me in, I think I feel how much it hurts. I wish you let me help…" For a moment I thought she had actually stirred but the slow breathing of sleep returned. I sighed yet again and proceeded to stand up to get me something to eat. "But I'll wait for you, until your ready."

I was already half way up, when I felt a firm but gentle grip around my wrist, pulling me back. The action had taken me by surprise and though I noticed that Minako was still asleep, I was not at all prepared for abruptly entering dreamscape once again.

I emerged back on a rather strange setting, fully conscious and not at all feeling like I normally did when sharing dreams with my mate. For once, there was the striking absence of another presence that I had gotten used to that was mostly Hebe's which provided the unusual realization that I was simply caught in the role of the observer. Why that was, I didn't know, that was the least of important impressions though. As I looked around, I noticed that while the surrounding scenery looked at least somewhat like Earth, there were certain aspects that indicated differently. For one, the nature around me was much too thick and flourishing to be of Earth standard, trees were high and healthy, even better then some in the rain forest pictures I had seen. The same went for the flowers that were unfamiliar to me and in strange colors, varying everything in the spectrum between deep red and a darker purple pink, covering everything in between. The sky was of an unnatural, dim orange-gold hue and the rather bright, but surprisingly not the least, hot sun hanging like a planet above our heads. If I looked closely, I thought, I could even spot Earth and its Moon in the distance. So, all in all, everything seemed like just out of a big fairy-tale picture book. Not to say anything about said namesakes oblivious to their baffled watcher speeding between the flora and fauna of their home.

I averted my head sharply to look for anything that was of direct importance. It was already quite clear that I was on Venus and that whatever the dream was about, it had something to do with Hebe and Priapos. So, no need to stand around here in front of this enormous, ornamented, striking, magnificent… palace… admiring the view. Yeah, that was what I wanted to think before I was so rudely interrupted by the awareness of what could only be the Royal Palace. I guess I was already at my destination.

Voices suddenly reached my ears of which I had the distinct idea of belonging to children, young teenagers at best, and one had the pulling note in it that clearly belonged to my mate. With a few quick steps, I rounded the corner and found myself in a large area that could rival a baseball stadium three times at least. The markings on the ground and the odd-shaped vehicle that filled a great portion of the area were clear indicators that this probably was the landing field for space ships. But that or the thoroughly interesting space ship in question didn't prove to be of any further interest as my eyes fell on the group a few feet away from the ship.

Gathered in two semi-circles, I could identity several adults in fancy robes or other clothing speaking of high status. But the center of interest, not only for the gathered parties but also for me, were the two young children in their midst. Ten maybe, at best twelve years – though I could never tell with what Minako told me about the Silver Crystal's effect on appearance –, one was clad in a very formal robe of orange and gold. Long blonde-gold hair framed a childish face with a surprising mature quality to it. Blue eyes sparkled with life. Overall, I had no trouble identifying the younger Hebe or the other child in question, especially after hearing Artemis' story about the elf society. The other one was  no doubt a younger version of Priapos.

"But I don't want you to go and why can't I just come with you?" the young elf's voice brought me out of my thoughts. Priapos was shaking, that much I could tell, and barely able to control her emotions going overboard. An older woman who was screaming royalty and stood behind her, was trying to softly hold her back. Hebe managed a sad smile. "Please, Pria, we talked this over for the last couple of weeks. I want you to stay here with Mom. We can't take anyone else with us, life of a Senshi is just too dangerous for a normal…"

"I DON'T CARE! I TRAINED ALL THIS YEARS TO STAY WITH YOU! I HAVE SWORN TO PROTECT YOU! I… I…" Her voice trembled and her eyes pleaded with unrestrained pain that it made my heart lurch at the sheer amount of terror at the thought of separation. Hebe didn't dare to look her friend in the eye for several seconds and I was once again reminded of my mere observer status and what I would give to feel with her, to understand what exactly she was going through. I knew so little about the relationship Hebe had shared with the young elf, maybe experiencing their parting first hand could give me some clue of how to help Minako… Or was she blocking me on purpose?

*Not really on purpose, young one* I didn't look around because I simply _knew_ there would be no one for my eyes to see. *She's just confused and emotionally torn. I'm surprised though that you managed to come here altogether. You don't see a such a talented dreamwalker every day.* I started to ask what exactly the definitely male voice meant by that or who by the Kami he was, however, I was intrigued once again by the scene in front of me.

Hebe and Priapos had reverted to quietly talking in tones that I could not hear from my position. Okay, mostly Hebe had done the talking while grabbing her friend's hands and locking their gazes in intense urgency. I wished once again, I could at least hear what they were saying but knew somehow that the conversation was not of immediate importance. Although as Priapos quietly nodded and pulled out an item of some sort, I got interested. Inching closer until I stood almost in the circle of onlookers, I got a good look on the item. It looked somehow like a thick and smooth, green tendril, maybe part of one of the various offspring of natures that blossomed all around me. There were little flowers of different colors on two sides, creating a rainbow effect, one in each direction. The thing itself was not really big or long, more of the size of a wristband if curled together as a bracelet.

"A Meshi…? You are not telling me this is…" Hebe trailed of in disbelief as she stared unblinking and frozen to the spot at the apparently significant object. Priapos simply nodded, with a sad but gentle and determined smile. "As it is fashion for kin sisters…" She paused and held up a sharp looking dagger with golden lining and an emerald blade. Before Hebe could finish her sound of protest, Priapos cut with quick accuracy through the Meshi, successfully parting the _top_ half from its counterpart bottom one. "I present you with the essence of my mother spirit as a symbol for our everlasting friendship." With bowed head and dagger grasped tightly, she gave one half to Hebe, who could do nothing more than numbly accept the present.

There were no words exchanged as the two young children proceeded as in trance with all the elders around them holding their breaths. They pressed their two parts back together as Hebe took the dagger from Priapos and handed it over to a young man with white hair who simply nodded. Hebe and Priapos placed their palms atop each other on the Meshi and the white-haired man drew the dagger through their veins to cause some few drops of blood to fall on the significant object and some of it to mingle together.

I held my breath with probably everyone around me, not daring to speak, although I knew I was not really part of this memory. The two friends pulled away from each other, the Meshi halves now visibly linked by a thin line of crimson energy. "We are now linked by blood and the essence of life, sisters in all aspects of the being. Shall your journey be a good one, for I will ever be here, waiting for you, as long as the Meshi blooms…"

I somewhat expected something spectacular to happen, some great light show, some kind of spiritual experience… Nothing of this sort, however, happened as the two friends separated and Hebe turned away sharply with hidden, unshed tears in her eyes that she didn't want anyone to see. Even though I was not directly in her, I was still able to literally hear her heart breaking at leaving her long-time friend, trusted counselor and bodyguard – as well as now something akin to the human concept of blood sister – behind. She didn't want her friend to see, but glancing at Priapos, confirmed me that her attempts were futile.

"Goodbye..." Hebe whispered and walked away towards the ship, Priapos just following her with sad eyes. The young princess looked as if she would break down right on the spot and I couldn't just stand this anymore. She was feeling guilty for leaving her friend behind, for – even if unwillingly – neglecting her and I knew that feeling all too well. All too well.

With one hand reaching out to take one of the young princess', I was moving more on instinct than rational thought and never truly expected a reaction whatsoever. I was surprised when my hand not only made contact but young Hebe also looked up startled as if struck by a thunder bolt. Our eyes met and time seemed to actually freeze – and I am not talking about metaphors here. She reached up with her free hand, her half of the Meshi loosely hanging around her wrist, and touched my cheek gently with a confused but curious expression on her face. "I… know you…?" Her voice wavered, as did her features and in a sudden flash everything went white and I was about to experience something I would forget again for a long time…

(Intermission Memory Crystal Recording Senshi Venus)

The interruption of the memory dream came so sudden, I needed several moments to adjust to the new surroundings. I had half expected to encounter Hotaru somewhere in the dream, but as often during the experience, I had lost myself in the dream and every touch with reality. Hotaru's appearance came so suddenly it had sent my mind into utter confusion, before I was even vaguely able to recognize her. And then everything wavered and turned into a great sea of whiteness before returning to normal. I blinked my eyes several times to adjust my still blurry vision.

The atmosphere around me was cool and fresh, I could make out some sort of white and blue marble, big supporting pillars in a strangely familiar cross of Roman and Greek style… Then I became aware of several things at once. There were golden Crescent Moons engraved everywhere, as well as the planetary signs. Also I could clearly feel the presence of several others in the room that I could recognize on the spot because apart from the royal family of the Moon, no one radiated such a pure aura.

"Mother?" My head shot up at the sound and I turned slightly to identify that it indeed had been Usagi to my left – or better Princess Serenity – and what even surprised me more, even though it really shouldn't have, was that next to her stood Hotaru wearing a similar gown in deep violet reserved for the planetary princesses. A strong sense of authority made me revert my eyes back forward and I finally comprehended that we indeed were in the throne room of the Silver Palace of the old Moon Kingdom, returned to its old glory by the dreamscape or whatever we were currently in.

"The 'what' is actually a good question, Hebe," the woman in front of me that so strongly resembled my Princess with the silvery hair and the golden Crescent Moon insignia said. I knelt on reflex, bowing my head respectfully. "My Queen." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mate doing the same, probably reacting on instinct alone. For all I knew, Queen Serenity radiated such an aura of power, authority and purity that would even make the proudest noble on Earth bow and Hotaru had proven to be rather sensitive to the spiritual plane. Although as I dared to look again, her eyes seemed a bit distant, as if she was not herself which was an experience I did know well myself.

"Why are we here, mother. What happened? I thought, I…" Usagi's voice made me turn my attention back to my Queen and Princess. The older woman silenced her daughter with a gesture and warm smile. "Your present incarnation still sleeps, child, and it won't be needed for now. But I had to summon you also, because you three share the same fate in the years to come." Usagi startled to be reminded of our presence, turned her head to shortly regard me with a smile and a nod, then looked startled at Hotaru but before she could ask a question, the Queen cut it again.

"Please rise, Princess Hebe and you too Rhea." We complied without hesitation but I was as much surprised at the title the Moon Goddess had addressed Hotaru with as Usagi or my mate herself. Sensing our confusion, the Queen swiftly stepped forward to stop in front of Hotaru and holding a hand up to her forehead. "You are troubled, dreamwalker, but fear not, your true self will reveal itself soon and you don't need to worry." As she took her hand away, Usagi and I let out shocked gasps. Shining brightly on the younger girls forehead, a violet symbol resembling a scythe appeared. The astrology sign of the planet of Saturn.

"No…" I breathed, shaking my head violently. "Kami, no…" Before the panic from the revelation could fully manifest, I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and I almost didn't dare to look up in the serene eyes of the long passed woman. Queen Serenity regarded me with an almost painful soothing look and a reassuring smile. "You need not worry, Hebe, the presence of your mate is essential for the future fate of Earth and the presence within her will neither cause you problems nor herself." She stepped back to let her gaze wander over all three of us. Usagi was still casting glances from me to Hotaru and back, as if still trying to comprehend the implications she just learned – knowing her, she probably was.

Queen Serenity glanced up at the ceiling, her eyes glazing over slightly. "Before the Kingdom fell, I did have visions of the future. Of a time where all Senshi would be needed in order to uphold the peace. I had thought that the menace had passed as you annihilated the Dark Kingdom and that your spirits and even that of the Senshi of Saturn could rest in peace. But lately the darkness has returned and made its move. I was forced to act…"

"Do you mean that it was you who brought us together, Your Highness?" Hotaru asked almost meekly with respect. Serenity gave her an understanding smile and shook her head. "I merely arranged for you to meet. Your lives had reached a turning point with your first meeting and the opportunity presenting itself from this encounter was too fortunate to let it pass." Her expression became serious as she looked us straight in the eyes. "You three are the most powerful Senshi and planetary heirs of our time and all of you represent one of the attributes that constituting all beings of life and especially the human race. You, Princess, are the most powerful of them all with the strength of the soul, you Rhea are the strongest Senshi apart from the Princess, your powers lies in the mastery of the spirit which also allows you to dreamwalk like this." Her eyes softened as she turned to me and I felt an incredible warm feeling filling me from the inside. "You, Hebe, you possess the strength of the heart. Do never forget that and be true to yourself. Only if you do so, you will be able to save your loved ones." She reached out and took my hand. A bright light appeared above our joined palms and as the Queen let go a magnificent and beautiful stone of pure white floated down into my open hand. It was a crystalline tear, similar to the Ginzuishou but yet different. Its surface was smooth, not divided into many fragments as the Silver Crystal, giving the impression of an even stronger resemblance to a tear as Usagi's did. "The Venus Tear," I breathed in sudden recognition.

"Yes," Serenity answered softly. "Use it well, you will know when the time is right." Her eyes traveled back to Hotaru and she held out her hand to her, a silvery pendant with the form of an eight-pointed star rested in her open palm. "Hold this close to your heart. It will protect you from the demon inside of you until your true self awakens. As long as you are wearing this, no dark powers will be able to claim you…" She stopped and looked briefly, while Hotaru took the pendant with trembling hands, as if worried that she would break it upon contact. "It is time." I wanted to protest, but wisely didn't say anything, knowing from past experience how futile that was, although I really wanted to know more about this new menace and what exactly we were facing.

Serenity looked at us for a last time. "Do behold your true powers in your heart, together with the Prince who represents the body, you four are the center for our Kingdom to rise once again to its old glory and peace to remain." And with that, everything went white again. As I woke up, with my eyes meeting with violet ones, the second dream encounter had already vanished from my memory.

(Tome Hotaru's diary resumes)

When I first opened my eyes again, I felt as if bathed in a spring, reborn and practically glowing with the essence of life, although I had no idea why exactly that was. The last thing I remembered was the dream that had come to an abrupt end as I had tried to reach out to her. A nagging sense told me that there was more behind it and that I simply could not remember more than one significant detail. But I knew beyond a doubt that I was not supposed to feel that good. And while I stared into the blue eyes directly in front of me, I could tell without even reaching over our bond that Minako also felt strangely renewed. Come to think of it, I had no idea how we both came to lie cradled in each other's arms in the first place – not that I was complaining.

Neither of us dared to move, too relishing was the feeling of warmth and security the simple task of holding each other created. "What…" my girlfriend finally began with unblinking but wondering eyes. "… was that?" I finished with a smile but also rather confused. When I reflect on it now, my first Impression when I opened my eyes was probably of an infant, seeing the wonders of the world for the first time.

Minako tilted her head slightly and put one hand under her chin, glancing at me. "You are truly amazing, you know? How did you do that?" I knew she was referring to the major happiness factor pushed onto us at the moment and I could just shake my head in irritation myself why I proceeded to reluctantly sit up. "To tell you the truth, I have no idea, why I feel so good myself." Minako followed my lead and then took one of my hands, her eyes inquiring and curious. "You mean, you didn't do anything?" I shook my head again and told her that everything I remembered was being in her dream and the events taking place there – apart from the mysterious voice calling me "dreamwalker". 

"Then who…?" Minako's question was cut short as she suddenly halted in mid-sentence by glancing downwards on the bed. I followed her gaze and found a silver pendant with an eight-pointed star that instantly drew my attention as did the other item to Minako. I held up the pendant and marveled at the beauty and fine craftsmanship. The object radiated a comforting feeling of peace I only knew from the energy of our bond. It quieted the darker side in me that had been awfully quiet anyway this past weeks since I met and hooked up with Minako. Without hesitation, I put it around my neck and felt instantly even better than before.

I was startled out of my own inspection of the pendant when Minako let out a short but shrill cry and recoiled as if burnt. Then I looked down again, I finally noticed the pure white, tear drop-shaped crystal lying on the covers of our bed and glowing in soft tones as if to soothe and reassure my agitated mate. On cue, Artemis burst into the room in a rare display of power – I mean come on, a cat who can slam open a closed door? He came to an abrupt halt as he jumped to us and was in the mid of demanding what happened, when he noticed the object of his partner's anxiety. To make it short, Artemis went into a fit as he saw what was later explained to me was the legendary Venus Tear, an object of near equal power compared to the mystical Ginzuishou. I guess, I can understand now, why they reacted so jumpy, learning how the Venus Tear had not been seen in millennia…

After we had repeated countless times that we had no idea what happened apart from the dream experience of Hebe's parting with Priapos – to which he wisely chose to simply give a sympathetic nod –, he finally gave up on trying to solve this mystery for now, just to launch into another full "questioning and lecturing tirade" when he finally caught sight of my pendant.

I learned that it was originally a Silver Millennium artifact designed to banish or simply ward evil spirits. Artemis became very serious telling me that I should keep it close to me no matter what and if at anyway possible concealed it from sight. Though I found it a waste to not show off the beautiful piece of art, I could only agree with the white cat for his caution. I know that he suspected – or even knew more than he let on – about my darker self and since the pendant had such a calming effect on it, I didn't want to have it seen by anyone who might attempt drawing this darker side of me out in the open. Therefore, I carry the thing now hidden under my clothing.

Back to the events. After we discussed the dream and the odd appearance of the objects a bit further – without noticeable success –, I decided that after the last night's events another day of relaxing was in order for Minako and me, while Artemis went to look into the matter of the Venus Tear and the pendant. Surprisingly, nothing much happened over the course of the next few days and I was able to bring Minako out of her misery and the shell she had hidden her emotions and feelings in. I wasn't even much surprised when I heard that Hebe and Priapos in their childish innocence had once or twice crossed the line of platonic friendship – nothing physical –, but nothing much had come out of it in the end. The two girls had been really fond of each other and I could master a general understanding of what such a deep friendship sometimes could do to young minds.

We were more surprised by the formal challenge lying on our bungalows front porch one morning. It was from Priapos and she wanted "to settle things with Hebe once and for all." Minako took it surprisingly calm – although I had no idea about Hebe – considering that she had made little to no progress with even activating the Venus Tear. But what she had been able to do was retrieve her piece of the Meshi. With that and the unspoken determination to not hurt but pull her past life friend back on the right side, she clearly indicated her approval of a confrontation.

That is where we stand now. Tomorrow _we_, and I insisted on that, would face whatever this confrontation would bring. I hope for Minako and Hebe's sake that she is able to somehow save her friend without the need to kill yet another victim of the constant war between good and evil. I really hope so.

Hotaru

_If you wonder now what this thing that became as much a hassle as a help in future times is, well I might give you a brief update on the mystical Venus Tear which I also provided the teens at this time but sadly no one seemed it to be good enough to fit in their journals… Ah well. It probably was too much to remember in detail and… What, Hotaru-chan? Oh, ah, the point, right, hehe…_

_The Venus Tear, also called Weeping Unicorn is a creation from the founding years of the Silver Millennium. It was said to be the tear the first Queen of Venus shed at the loss of her firstborn in the Resurrection Wars. What were those about? The Resurrection Wars raged for centuries over the surface of Venus and below. In those years, the opposing races of the elemental elves fought against the dark ones. Order against Chaos, Life against Death, you all know how this works though I will refrain for several reasons at this point to clarify who was actually at fault, who was Good and who Evil._

_The Dark Elves sought to resurrect a demonic entity which should promise them the power to claim the planet as theirs. The Queen I talked about earlier was not actually the very first Queen of Venus, but the one who would be known to history books by this title. The young ruler descended from a long line of rulers who tried to stabilize and balance things on the rogue planet. One day she and her young daughter came in between the two clashing forces. In this event, the princess was injured beyond rescue and died in the arms of her mother. Her heart was torn and unbelieving at the sheer violence displayed by both forces in the battle which made them equally responsible. She wept one tear of honest and open despair about the ill of the people she wanted to reunite and the utter futility of her tries that had caused her daughter to die. That tear would be known to later generations only as the legend that was the Venus Tear._

_The legend told that the tear merged with the young princess' body and became her essence as much as the Ginzuishou so often does with its wielders. Through the power the tear manifested, the girl was brought back to life and the elves halted their battle as they witnessed this incredible miracle. Both races recognized the event as a sign for peace and better times to come, the first Queen of all Venus, accepted by everyone, was born from this day onward._

_Her firstborn daughter though never continued her legacy,  living her life unmarried and pure because the crystal tear and her own beliefs would allow her no less. The Queen's second daughter continued her line and her sister transferred a portion of the power of the Venus Tear into her, which led to the birth of the first Senshi of Venus._

_The tear, however, was forever lost as the uncrowned princess died at a surprisingly normal age. The crystal vanished after her death and was never to be seen again. Up to this day of course._

(From the diary of Aino Minako)

Riding the clouds high up in the heaven and then dropping down in the deepest pits of hell.

That probably gets close to what I am feeling right now. Miserable isn't coming even close to describe it and that I did have better days than this one is a vast understatement. I thought after Hiroshi hurt me that nothing could ever tear at me so much again, because I would simply not let anyone close enough to do so… Yes, such dark thoughts had clouded my mind that day and I really did have any intention of going through with them. Until, yeah until a certain raven-haired girl dropped into my life and changed everything. She is now the center of my life, my confidence, my mate… And she's gone. Just like all the others… No, not really like the others because I plan on getting her back whatever it might take.

However, I should start at the beginning and for once this diary or journal or whatever you might call it, really begins to serve its purpose. If I don't calm down soon and get my thoughts in order, I end up doing something rash which will most likely get us all killed. Ok, calm now… I'll try at least because it's not really easy at the moment. Everything began this morning.

I was confident. For some strange reason I was totally confident about leaving this day victorious. I had the feeling deep down in my heart that whatever held control over my old friend and Hebe's kin sister, I could surely break it. No, I would surely break it. When the day was over, the old Priapos would be back and free from any evil influence. It would be ridiculous, if the Goddess of Love couldn't even save her best friend with the strength of her heart. Did I already mention that I was confident?

"Are you sure, that you'll be able to change her mind?" _Oh, thank you, great confident girlfriend of mine, for doubting me._ I gave Hotaru a mocking hurt look. As expected, she was quick to wave with her arms in an attempt for apologetic gestures. I put a hand on her shoulder and smile encouragingly. "Don't worry, Raven, I've got a plan." Well, an idea of a plan; more like the rough outline of a plan. But it would work, provided that I could actually master… No, no. No negative thoughts, it would work, I had to believe in myself as I always did. This confidence had returned and fueled even greater since Hotaru entered my life and I was going to prove that to her, to me and to my old friend Priapos. Yes, I considered her my friend, even though she mostly was Hebe's. Our personalities, however, had so closely touched over the course of the last week that I could not ignore the strong feelings that I harbored close to my heart. Also, I felt committed to Hebe in that matter. That was extremely important for my past life and I, on the other hand, had it enough with pointless deaths.

"I didn't mean to say that. She just seemed so sad…" Hotaru replied trailing off as she looked up. We had already arrived at our destination. An old mansion that was already half-destroyed, showing unmistakable signs of age. I pulled my girlfriend into a tight embrace and gave her a light but thrilling kiss on the lips, reassuring her as much as getting a last energy boost. "Trust me," I whispered softly. "And do what I tell you. Promise me that?" I was a bit uncomfortable about bringing Hotaru along to this open challenge. But she would not back down and I knew that. So I didn't put up much of a fight although I had a strange feeling in my gut that something would go terribly wrong… Otherwise, if anything, a formal challenge from an Efadio was even more honor-bound than a Samurai challenge. There just simply could not be any ulterior motives allowed. That ruled out the general "That's a trap". Which didn't mean that whomever was commanding her would hold true to the honor code of the warrior.

That is why I was relieved when Hotaru nodded quietly and caressed my cheek with one hand. "I promise." I did not know exactly what Priapos had planned for the both of us, but I was determined to set my own rules and direct the course of action and for that, I needed Hotaru to stay out of the way and safe. Reaching into subspace, I briefly brushed invisible fingers over the smooth surface of the Venus Tear before I pulled out the Meshi string, strapping it around my wrist.

"Artemis, whatever happens, stay with Hotaru and make sure that no one is back-stabbing us." Artemis nodded without any further word exchange. We had worked on the plan ever since we found the challenge letter on our doorstep. I really wished I had more time with the tear. I had made some progress but when it would really come to the last choice and I was forced to use it… Well, let's just say, I had no idea what would happen. As much as we found out was that the Venus Tear relied on the strength of the heart where the Ginzuishou responded more to the purity of the soul. And you could just not train a situation where you have to master all the strength of your heart. Also there was still the matter of how much restriction and limits the crystal provided.

Without further words, we proceeded into the mansion – or at least what was left of it. The inside seemed to be much more intact though, the walls high and a bit gloomy, crimson curtains and a huge old stairway going all the way up. Most of the effect was probably due to magic, but I really didn't care much about this now. My eyes went in all directions, searching intensely for signs of attack. I could sense Priapos in here, although I wasn't able to see her, yet. Elves were quite good at hiding and stealth, but she would not attack out of nowhere. At least not, if there was still something left of my old friend.

I stopped at the base of the stairway without looking up. I felt her watching us and I was tired of this game. She tried to test me with this, tried to make me insecure, however, I remembered most of my past life by now, including the endless hours of training with her usual tactics. "Come out, Priapos, there is no need for you to play this games with me anymore," I called out not necessarily shouting but with a clear voice. Sure enough we didn't have to wait long for the answer. "If you know so much, Hebe, why are you not here alone? This is just between you and me." Hotaru gripped my hand tightly but I did not falter in my resolve. "It is called caution, Pria, you taught me all about it. My mate and partner do know the rules and will not interfere as long as this is just between you and me."

Hotaru flinched slightly as Priapos appeared out of seemingly nowhere, good a dozen stairs over us; I simply stood my ground. The elf's face held a reserved smile. "Maybe there is still hope for you, _old_ friend." Even though I didn't show it outwardly, inside I cringed at the emphasis. "I will never surrender to evil, Priapos. You should stop this maniacal nonsense now before one of us regrets it." My corrupted friend merely stared at me but did not reply.

I closed my eyes briefly and freed my hand from Hotaru's firm grip. She understood and stepped away with Artemis and I focused my attention on Priapos again. "It is a real shame it had to come to this." The elf nodded with a mixture of emotion that let my hopes rise up again. "Yes, a shame. As your former sensei and the one who made the challenge, you have to choose the form of combat." I took a deep breath. That was what I anticipated but also feared. My last chance at saving Priapos from whatever evil clouded her mind. "I challenge you to Ermado." Priapos twitched with an almost unnoticeable amount of nervousness. "A battle of the heart…"

"Winner decides the fate of the other," I confirmed with a nod. Priapos jumped down and I backed up a few steps to put some distance between us. The mansion was completely silently, there was no sound and we could even make out our own breathing over those of Hotaru and Artemis. None of us moved for a long time, as we examined our opponent. Priapos was determined and set in her belief that she was doing the right thing, that much I could tell. The battle of the heart was fought with willpower alone, the strength of the heart should determine whose intentions were the strongest. I did not have any doubt about my mission and my belief and I knew that Priapos had at least some about her own. The question was just how to use that to my advantage.

"We don't have to do this," I said at last, breaking the silence and gestured with my other hand at the Meshi string around my wrist. "Do you really want to fight your kin sister? Please, you must know deep down there that what you're doing is wrong." Priapos stared down at her own Meshi string which I had already spotted earlier and her resolve faltered for a moment before she slowly shook her head. "No… You… betrayed us by associating with our murders. If I cannot convince you on the errors of your way, I have to… kill you."

Energy crackled as her determination returned, but I had made my first point. If she really was so sure that I was doing the wrong thing here, she wouldn't have hesitated. A glowing green blade formed in her hands fueled by the power of her heart, but I could see the tiny layer of negative energy which made me even more cautious.

"Very well," I said and opened my hand, calling forth the Venus Tear. As expected I saw Priapos shocked and recoiling from the brief flash of intense light. "How…? You have the Venus Tear?" I smiled a not so sweetly smile, falling into the old battle routine of mocking to discourage my opponent. "Yes." Concentrating all the confidence I had gathered since this morning, I focused it on the crystal in my hand all the while thinking of my single goal, to rescue my kin sister. The Venus Tear responded in kind as it flashed brightly and stretched in four different directions, forming an irregular cross of four small but sharp and powerful crystal blades, crackling with pure white light. Not exactly what I had expected, but it would have to do.

"Interesting." Priapos commented thoughtfully. She had caught herself once again and brought her blade in an offensive position. "Let's see if you can control the ancient crystal as good as you try to convince me." With that, she shot forward and I was forced backwards a few steps under her vicious assault until I managed to meet her maneuvers with equal speed, strength and skill. Both of us tried to press the advantage but neither of us gave ground. Heavy amounts of force were unleashed all around us and I gritted my teeth at the incredible pressure between us. With a flash, the force pushed us backwards a couple of feet.

I didn't relax, my breathing still controlled and without any trace of physical strain. What made me a bit more weary was controlling the transformed Tear. I wondered how Serenity could stand to use the Ginzuishou on a semi-frequent basis, the power was so enormous, I feared it would crush me and the whole planet in one brief moment. I think the Ginzuishou had a few regulations though, after all the Silver Crystal was said to be magically forged by Selene to focus her powers in the mortal realm and a focus it was mostly. The Venus Tear however had no such regulations. Its power could be fully tapped by a capable wielder, but it was far more difficult to control this almost unlimited power without having some safeguards which would prevent you from overdoing it.

Apart from that, I think I had a slight advantage. I studied my enemy closely and scanned the level of will power Priapos' blade emitted. Priapos skill was still as flawless as ever and if it would come down to it, she might have me pinned down by now. I know that I was not used to weapon fighting anymore as I used to be in the days Hebe and Priapos used to spar and train together. Still, the standstill I had fought the elf down to proved that I balanced her somewhat superior skill with the better weapon fueled by greater willpower. And judging from what Hebe's memories provided about her friend – which was fairly much – I think she knew this too.

As if to prove my previous analyses, Priapos rushed in again in a heated assault, fueled by desperation and the realization that she needed a quick victory. Though… that wasn't the idea behind the Ermado, the ancient Battle of the Heart, skill would not determine the winner and therefore I didn't falter or lose my confidence under the fury of my kin sister's attack. I let Hebe guide my motions and reflexes as I parried stroke for stroke, thrust for thrust of Priapos' blade with my own cross-blades. When I finally attacked, I reacted on instinct alone. I knew she would not surrender, nor would she listen to reason and I could not heal her with the Tear alone. The now crystal weapon was not designed to heal, not entirely anyway and I wasn't sure how to, even if I knew it could work. That left me with one possibility.

Dodging a right feinted strike, I was right in her defense. The Venus Tear was a whirlwind of motion, sparkling like a white disc. _Forgive me_, I silently prayed and was not sure if it was Hebe or me. The disc struck with a tearing noise at the underside of her wrist as I passed her by. Over the shoulder I could see Priapos halt in her tracks not so much from inflicted pain than from shocked disbelief, looking down at the ground and her wrist where previously the Meshi string used to be.

The blade fell from her hands and dissolved into nothingness. A brief and eerie silence filled the chamber once again before Priapos collapsed to her knees shaking and all the time staring at the burned piece that had once been the most precious thing shared between us. When the Meshi broke I felt a brief pain in my heart and soul but it vanished very quickly. The bond was shattered, not entirely broken but shattered into million tiny pieces.

Sighing, I finally let the blades dissolve back into the Venus Tear and send it away into subspace once again. I felt terribly for doing this, even if it was the only way to win. And even though I thought I lost her because just looking at the sobbing elf on the ground, I felt my heart cry out in pain. Tentatively, I stepped forward to comfort my former kin sister and jumped back as she looked up sharply and her eyes blazed with hot fury and angry tears of deception. I was surprised to see her aura once again flare brightly, this time clearly tainted with black.

"It is true after all," she hissed and I actually flinched at the venom in her voice. "Adonis was right all the way. It is always your mission, isn't it? Your precious Queen and Princess over everyone. If it comes down to it, it's always them, right? I bet you laughed at me back then for crying and not wanting to let you go! Well, that's over now, we are no longer friends and maybe I should tell you THAT I ALWAYS HATED YOU!"

With the last scream of despair, the elf shot forward palms outstretched and energy crackling in her fingertips. I could not move; I could not speak; I could not react. My fingers were inches away from drawing the Venus Tear back out of subspace to defend myself but Priapos' words had paralyzed me. Though I knew very well that she didn't mean her last comment, the other things struck all the more. Sharp, painful stabs right through the heart. Had I really been so foolish? Had I not shown more attention to my kin sister? Had I ever given her the impression that I cared more about my mission than her? _You should look happier. Now you can go on living, without having to torment yourself over the ultimate choice, your love or your duty. Your fate is to continue fighting,_ Adonis' parting words flashed through my mind once again.

"Matte!" Hotaru's voice rang into the hissing noise of discharging energy. It wasn't loud or desperate or anything for that matter that should be expected, but it bared a commanding tone so powerful even the rage-blinded elf could not resist. Priapos skidded to a halt and looked in my mate's direction as did I. I think she must have caught something that made her stumble backwards in such terror because everything I caught was the brief flashing of the strange aura Artemis and I had encountered before.

"I saw in her dream. I saw the pain, the grief and the frustration about losing your friendship to her superior duty. You know deep down that none of this is either my and Minako's fault nor is it Hebe's," Hotaru said calmly without any trace of fear. Her eyes were gentle but determined at the same time and I saw Priapos shaking under her gaze, although I could not tell if that was due to my mate's doing or what my former kin sister had seen before. "Hebe loves you, as much as Minako does and is willing to do. Let yourself not be blinded by your fear because fear is good for caution, but not to a point where it turns to panic and clouds your mind. Believe me, I know how it feels to feel betrayed, accused and how it is to lose the only family you ever had. Onegai… Don't blame Minako or Hebe or me, she cares for you so much, you…"

Hotaru didn't manage to finish the sentence as Priapos, without warning, turned away from me and the energy returned into one open hand. "Shut up! How do you know? How can you say, you understand me? You're just like Venus, all the same, the only thing that matters to you is your mission and those you've sworn to protect and love! And how should an Earth girl of all people know how it feels? HOW?" With that she flung the gathered energy in Hotaru's direction, but with a speed that surprised even me, I intercepted the blast by thrusting one single object in its destructive path…

(Memory Crystal Recording Artemis)

As the blast raced our way, I don't think I would have been able to do anything about it in order to defend Hotaru, even if I jumped right into its path. The attack fueled by such strong negative emotions would have simply pierced right through me. The chances if I let it continue onward and hope for Saturn to deflect it from her host were probably much higher for both of us to survive. The realization that it was definitely the Senshi of Silence sleeping in Hotaru's body was a mild comfort – if you could actually speak about comfort, discovering your charge's girlfriend was the reborn version of the most destructive Senshi in the whole universe. With the danger heading our way and the only random manifestation of her power…

We didn't have to worry about this though as I caught the flash of something intercepting the energy blast and stared in amazed realization as the energy collided with the Meshi string – the mystical power of the elfin bonding symbol canceling out Priapos' own. I finally understood what exactly Minako tried to achieve with this. The nature elves of Venus were partly dryad, not fully but all of them were linked to special trees that only grew on Venus and some remote regions of other planets. The Meshi were kind of guardian spirits and the particular one symbolized family, clan, origin and status. To bring a branch of the mystical tree and present it to another was, as if to give a part of your own life essence away. The gesture was a sacrilege known to all races. By cutting off Priapos' half Venus had shown what she was willing to do, but she also clearly brought the message that she just intended to help Priapos and would even go that far. Priapos' mind might be clouded by rage and fear but deep down she knew that.

So I thought the following outcome only reasonable. As the smoke and backlash from the power ceased and I opened my eyes again after the blinding flash of energy, Venus was standing in front of us, Venus Tear raced again and shaped into the form of a massive shield, the Meshi string fell down to the ground, fried and drained of all energy, the flowers on its side withering. Priapos stared in abject shock and outright disbelief at the fallen piece, than down to her own and back to Venus', before her eyes focused on my partner. "Why?" she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper, as a look of incredulous realization passed over her features. "You are willing to sacrifice the last remaining straw of our friendship for her? Do you love her so much?"

"Yes. She is my everything," Venus replied sincerely and may the gods cry out in outrage, may the underworld stream freeze over or the sun cease to shine, I don't think, I ever heard my partner declare something with that sincerity. And Priapos made the same conclusion as I did before. Aino Minako, Sailorvenus and even Princess Hebe truly, honestly loved Tomoe Hotaru and not even the revelation about her sleeping identity would… no, could ever change that.

With a defeated sigh and downcast eyes, Priapos sank to her knees and hung her head low. "Then by the rules of the Ermado, I yield. Senshi Venus has proven to be my better and my fate lies now in her hands." The proud Efadio kneeled there without motion and never lifted her eyes from the ground.

Venus deactivated the crystal but kept it in one hand as she slowly walked towards her fallen once kin sister. Standing before the defeated Priapos, she began glowing a bright orange, accompanied by a flash of white and in her place stood Princess Hebe. "Look at me, Pria," she demanded softly while laying a hand on the elf's shoulder. As the trembling warrior met the Princess's gaze, tears glittered in her eyes. "I just want you to be my _sister_ again." With that, she lifted her hand from Priapos shoulder and the two shredded Meshi strings floated towards her. Upon contact, the Venus Tear gave another bright flash of white and both parts were restored to their former strength and bloom. Priapos watched in wonder as Hebe picked Priapos' string and bound it around the elf's wrist once again but she didn't resist and a small, genuine smile slowly began forming as Hebe handed her the other string. Priapos reached up and took the other girl's wrist to place the string around it. And as soon as this was done a wave of incredible white magic surged forward and engulfed first her and then both of them. Hebe leaned forward to embraced her now renewed kin sister and Priapos did not hesitate to do likewise.

I looked up at Hotaru with a smile on my face at this good ending and saw her face radiating a similar happiness though much stronger since she was surely sharing Hebe's emotion over the bond. I think she started to say something but never got the opportunity.

(Hotaru)

The bond was barely able to hold that much emotional love that poured through it as the white light from the Venus Tear and the reunited Meshis engulfed the two friends. It was not possible to separate Minako from her past personality at the moment but that didn't surprise me. As much as many of this was Hebe's doing and her feelings, Minako had also become very attached to the matter of the elf over the last days. For her where was no difference, if Priapos had been Hebe's best friend and kin sister or hers because just as Hebe said at the festival, they were one human being now and nobody controlled the other. It was Minako's life now, which didn't mean that Hebe wasn't allowed to take part in it. That Minako took as much responsibility for Priapos as Hebe did just proved that the princess had been right after all.

I smiled at the scene before me, happy that they had found each other again. For Minako deserved only the best with all the years of pain and heartache, not knowing what to do with her life. Every true friend she gained who wasn't a Senshi was an achievement and a testament that this Adonis guy was an awful fool for thinking that her mission was the only thing that was of value for my girlfriend. I also knew all too well as I said earlier to Priapos how it felt like to be in the elf's position – although it still was beyond me how I had mastered the courage. Maybe once I would be able to make my own peace with the past, but for now every happiness Minako gained would be my happiness.

I intended to say something to Artemis, but was silenced into shock as an energy bolt came crashing down on the reunited friends. My mate reacted again with unbelievable speed and brought up a shield around them with the Venus Tear. Unfortunately, mostly for me, that first attack was just a feint to divert attention… from me. A terrified scream sprang from my lips as I was suddenly yanked upwards by strong hands and a firm grip. I struggled but to no avail, my captor was strong and unyielding. I tried to turn my head and get a look at whoever was holding me, but was met with another sharp pain as the person pressed down hard on my neck keeping me in the helpless and utterly clueless position I was in.

Minako, however, was not so clueless as she spun around at the moment my scream shook the old mansion to the core and Priapos jumped clear in a ready position, energy blade in hand. "You?" she breathed unbelieving and a sinking feeling in my chest told me that I would not like the revelation of my captor. "Why, yes, you seem surprised, Venus. A real shame that you had to be so thickheaded," a male voice responded. "And you, Priapos, I had such great hope for you. I really thought that you could convince your own kin sister. But then again… you always used to come running when she called you." The man tightened his grip and I began feeling dizzy. "At least I'm taking this little price with me. I believe she will be awfully useful."

"Why you…" Priapos started angry flames of energy crackling around her but that was nothing compared to the shout of outrage which I was sure could have brought the ancient building to collapse. It was an almost female growl or maybe a roar. "ADONIS!" The Venus Tear flared brightly while I still had to comprehend this information. I wasn't given time to, as Venus jumped right up from the ground, a long, crackling, white blade in both hands almost like a whip. "YOU WON'T GET HER! DO YOU HEAR ME, I WILL NOT LET YOU!!!" My eyes met hers for the briefest moment as I saw terror, a certain amount of helplessness and heart-wrenching fear of losing me battling against determination and confidence. That was the last thing I saw before the world turned black.

(Aino Minako's Diary Resumes)

It is amazing how things, when you think that you're on top of heaven itself, can come crushing down with a strong force and remind you all too well of the harsh and often cold reality that is the mortal world. Not even to begin to speak of the daily reality of a Senshi. As I saw Hotaru there in Adonis' grip, I felt like dying and I mean that literally. Scenes flashed before my mind's eye. Of Hotaru and I, the wonderful, but yet, so short time we had shared and an icy fear gripped me at the same moment as fierce determination set in. I was torn between terrified and enraged and barely acknowledged the impossible fact that Adonis had already died… twice. I had seen it myself and yet that wasn't of importance. The man who could practically have jumped right out of a Greek hero myths had my Hotaru and was intending on taking her away from me, a concept neither I or Hebe could tolerate.

I leapt at him with a cry of outrageous fury, knowing deep down that if I did not act immediately that I might lose Hotaru forever. Pouring all my remaining power into the Venus Tear, I sailed down on the Dark Kingdom agent without any sign of mercy. He had crossed the line and for that he would pay. Also, I was sure the Tear would not hurt Hotaru –  I just knew it. I tore even more confidence and power from seeing Hotaru so scared and her eyes pleading with me and I was sure I could pull it of. That for once _everything_ would go right. I should have known better.

Inches away from meeting my opponent head on with the now several feet long blade-lash, I caught Adonis smiling cruelly which disturbed a sufficient part of me and he vanished, Hotaru still held tightly in his grip. With an agonized scream of denial, I crashed right into the ground, the Venus Tear slicing through marble and the light exploding in shards of crystal while all around us the remains of the mansion finally gave way to the strain of age and collapsed.

I guess, I barely registered anything at this time and can you blame me? It had all gone so quick and I was still trying to understand what exactly happened. The only thing I knew for sure is that Hotaru was gone, taken by the hands of an enemy and seemingly unreachable. My love, my confidence, my center, the person who hade so greatly effected my life and made my days a whole lot brighter, my soul mate… was… gone.

The information just began to sink in and I was totally oblivious to the outside world or my kin sister trying to comfort me. Priapos… I had just been able to save her. Was that the price? Was it my fault... again? Why hadn't I been on my guard, why had I let Hotaru come in the first place? I should have known something would happen. Years of experience as a Senshi and I was not able to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the one person I ever really cared for more than Serenity, my mission or my fate. The one person that made all the difference and for whom I was willing to sacrifice anything. I had failed her. Crying this out to the heavens in a roar, that was probably heard from Luna back in Japan, did not help much other then sending me into almost relieving unconsciousness.

I woke up a few hours later in the presence of Artemis, Priapos and Kathryn, who I really should have taken along. My kin sister immediately launched into a fit of self-accusing but as I was, I could not really be angry with her. Not anymore. They left me alone soon after I made clear I was physically fine and would need time to be alone. It has helped tremendously to know that although Priapos may not really know where exactly to find Adonis, but that she has a general idea. That really lifts my spirits a bit, even if it is barely noticeable.

I just wonder if I will ever see my Raven again and I wonder where all the confidence has gone too. This morning I had felt so determine to leave this day victorious, that with Hotaru at my side nothing could ever stop me. Oh, what a baka I have been for being so overly self-confident. Hotaru was gone and I am defeated although I earned a victory.

Tomorrow we'll start planning on how to get Hotaru back.

Minako

I closed my diary with a heavy sigh and stood up to walk over to the window. Writing all this down was a strain, but it calmed me somewhat. I had made a terrible mistake but it didn't help either me or Hotaru when I was falling into despair and blaming myself for what had happened again. I gazed up at the pale moon spending its dim silvery glow. My thoughts briefly wandered to Usagi and for the first time ever, I understood what she had gone through as the Dark Kingdom had taken Mamoru right out of her arms. I knew the feeling now and it never stopped to hurt…

Sitting cross-legged on the ground and bathing in the light that had sent us so much strength and comfort in the past, I concentrated back on my long-time home and my mate who was somewhere out there, facing unimaginable torment by a man I had once thought that I loved, who I knew loved me to the point of blind jealousy and a man who I had witnessed dying… twice. What else could go wrong?

But I should better not tempt fate. Instead I let my head fall forward, my hands folded and I did the only thing I thought helpful at the moment. I prayed to Selene, the Venus Tear glowing softly in response.

_Well that is about everything for now. I had ended up in what was normally reversed as Mamoru-san's role and Minako was on the verge of breaking. The final conclusion to our adventures in England will come in the next issue but for now I'm tired._

_Saturn_

Author's Note

That took me longer than anticipated after I finished with the first release for my group so quickly. But I think, it is better slow and good than quick and bad, right?

I have actually not much to say about this chapter. A couple of new ideas and elements, yeah, which I mostly created from my own beliefs, experiences and ideas I picked up along the way. What is this dreamwalker business is all about? Well, you have to wait… a very long time for me to further explain, draw your own conclusions for now.

I will get back to the Venus Tear in the next Volume and there also will be a bit more about Priapos (everyone with Greek Mythology resources, look the name up, if you want).

Ja ne, yours

Matthias


	3. Vol.6 – Yin and Yang, Fated Choices

Title: (1st Generation) Sailor V, Vol.6 – Yin and Yang, Fated Choices

Author: Matthias aka MysticMew

Email: Minaru@gmx.de

Beta-reader: Athenia (earthwing@comcast.net)

Rating: PG-13, with some more _mature_ situations (bordering on R)

Pairing: Minako/Hotaru

Timeline: After Season 1; Prelude story arc to The 1st Generation. How Minako and Hotaru got together.

Summary: Minako is back in England, her memories have been triggered and Sailor V is born again when Youma show their ugly face.

Distribution: Starsinlove-group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/starsinlove/), MAC (www.catstrio.de) www.fanfiction.net, ASMR (www.moonromance.com), anyone else you can have it but please ask first, 'kay?

Chapter Summary: Hotaru has been taken by Venus old' nuisance Adonis while Minako rescued her past life kin sister, the elf Priapos. Will the two of them be able to get Hotaru back? And what secrets will be uncovered in the process.

Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon/Sailor V belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Toei and Kodansha

Story Disclaimer: Copyright©2002 by Matthias Engel

(1st Generation) Sailor V, Vol.6 – Yin and Yang, Fated Choices by Matthias

based on the works of Naoko Takeuchi

Senshi Diary Codename: Crescent, access only by registered and acknowledged members of the Royal Court.

Scan activated

Scan positive

Recognition: Senshi Venus

Login: Private Journals

Receivers: Past Venus and Saturn

_Hi, it's me again!_

_I hope you haven't been to shocked with where Hotaru left you hanging last time but I can't help it. She has something of a dramatic streak, probably due to the theater courses she has taken recently. *shrugs* Anyway, that really was not our happiest time back then and nearly tore us apart. In the end though, we came out stronger than before and even more aware of how much we needed each others presence. The separation we faced then was hardly the last of hardships we had to endure in the future but the event set the course for our future._

_Let me not hold of any longer. You deserve to read about the conclusion of our adventures in England._

(Minako)

The clouds this morning reflected my mood, dark gray, here and then a few drops of rain and a strong wind. Typical weather, even for a summer day in England, and what could be better on such a morning than a good cup of tea. Though I did not share most English people's distaste about coffee, I had always preferred the standard national drink. A good herbal tea was always refreshing, even if my parents were a bit startled at my unusual request the morning after my memories resurfaced… Such meaningless thoughts drifted through my head at this godforsaken early hour of the day as I stared into the swirling liquid of mentioned tea, the last line triggering unpleasant memories of Hotaru once again. I could barely get my mind off of my girlfriend which was probably rather understandable the circumstances considered.

"I take it, you couldn't sleep." I raised my head lazily to glance at the figure standing in the doorframe of the kitchen. If not for the faint aura my Senshi-trained eyes detected, I could have sworn she was a complete stranger. Her wings concealed and her hair at waist-length, neatly trimmed and ebony black might be able to even fool my friends, if they did not know what they were dealing with. I sighed and took a sip of my tea and then sat the cup down on the table, not able to suppress a minor yawn. "It's not the same," I simply answered. Over the past week I had become accustomed to having Hotaru next to me when I woke up and now, the second time in a row, there was nothing but void in the morning. And it hurt. It hurt because it always brought back the painful memory of two days ago when Hotaru was captured. I became much to aware that everything had been real, not just a nightmare. A very nice start to begin the day, I tell you…

I closed my eyes with a sigh. Priapos had slipped behind my chair and embraced me from behind. A gesture I welcomed more than ever. Especially considered the harsh words traded between us yesterday. I was disgusted with myself to let my control slip so easily and almost hurting my kin sister out of desperation and pain-blinded anger.

---Flashback---

"What do you mean, you could not locate them? I thought you know where you were staying, so don't give me this piece of crap!"

I was in a very bad mood after not sleeping very well, which was not all too surprising. Waking up without my sweet Firefly beside me as a reminder of the previous day's events had me on the edge already. When Artemis and Priapos came back from a quick sweep through the area with nothing but blank results, I snapped. To be honest, I think I scared the hell out of the elf who was at the moment dangling from one hand around her throat and pressed against the wall. Her eyes were pleading but I was too far into rage-dimension to actually notice.

"It… It's because of the cleansing. I can't use the portals anymore because they require negative energy, also I don't think he would be at the base." I lessened my grip again, as my  subconsciousness reminded me mildly that I would not like the consequences otherwise. "Why?" I hissed impatiently, my eyes blazing with inner fire. But before the elf could answer, I picked up a sound something between a growl and a snarl, before Artemis snapped at me, effectively bringing me out of my state. "Venus, stop that now and think!" My partner rarely used such harsh tones with me and I knew all too well how upset he was over my unusual behavior. My eyes traveled from the elf to him and back to my... kin sister, before I finally dropped the girl I had just rescued a day before and now nearly killed in a fit of misdirected rage. She was not responsible for that and if I would have thought straight, I should have figured the meaning behind her words out before she even uttered them. Adonis would be dumb to hold Hotaru captive where Priapos even with her ties effectively cut could find him. No, I might despise my old kinsman but he was not an idiot, far from it.

Ashamed by my actions I averted my eyes to the ground and turned around. Shrugging of Priapos' hand, I walked out of the room.

---End Flashback---

"Gomen nasei, Pria-chan..." I murmured, not really trusting my own voice at the moment. The rest of the day had been lived on an unspoken agreement not to mention the morning incident anymore and I felt too guilty for losing control to try and approach the issue. Priapos hushed me with a gentle finger to my lips. "No harsh feelings, Hebe. I owe you a lot and you cannot really be blamed for yesterday after all, all this was partially my..." She trailed of and did not finish but I knew all too well what she wanted to say and I also did resist the urge to reassure her that she could be held responsible for her actions. Efadio were extremely honorable and a shame like that sat deep within my former bodyguard and kin sister, it would simply do not any good to argue with her about it.

"We'll find her, I promise," she said instead of finishing the previous sentence and I could only grasp that little beacon of hope she offered and hold on very, very tightly. I turned around, meeting her eyes with mine. An unspoken understanding passed between us. "I think we need to talk." Priapos just nodded. With our tempers a bit calmer it was time to learn what exactly we were facing here and how it could be possible for Adonis to be here... again.

 (Priapos)

I dreaded this conversation to come because I was not sure how much I was able to tell and how much I should tell. The events were blurry at best. Whatever yanked at the roots of my suspicions and insecurities after Hebe left for the Moon, it certainly made a very good work of putting me under it's spell. Bits and pieces that is what I remembered and nothing much in detail about "the grand plan" as my now terra-born kin sister phrased it.

"We came to this time in order to set things right after our own present was all but lost," I told He... Minako – I should really get used to this – sincerely to which I earned a lifted eyebrow. "Excuse me, are we talking of real time travel here? That is a bit farfetched, isn't it?" I chose wisely not to comment on the own leap Serenity had created in their recent battle and just simply shrugged my shoulder's in response. "All I know for certain is that one time we were forming plans for a counterstrike against the Moon – still under Metallia's influence then – and the next moment we are here, confronted with a future not all too pleasant for our now free – so we thought – minds. You can well imagine what that an impact had on us."

Artemis nodded at this and for a moment I caught some muffled words about Pluto not allowing something. I was well aware that there probably was a Sailorpluto somewhere but to the common people and most likely the whole system with exceptions of the Queen her identity was yet a mystery. I decided not to dwell further on the subject since it was unlikely that the cat advisor would share such information, even with his charge or me.

Which brought me to think about the other matter of a not so much mysterious but highly dangerous Senshi sleeping within my kin sister's mate that we both had solid proof for. What an unlikely couple they made and I could not help but blanch at the thought what their hidden past memories said to this most... interesting mating. It was due to a pledged agreement from both me and H... Minako's partner that we would not voice this bit of information in my kin sister's presence, especially not in her present emotional state. Nonetheless the thing proved to be tricky and I had a sinking feeling that Adonis detected young Hotaru's potential and might use it against her own mate... A fact making it all the more necessary for us to find the hiding place of my former master and investigate before any _real_ harm could be done.

"Be that as it is. We have to find Adonis hiding place quickly, or it might have catastrophic results," Artemis voiced my own thoughts to which my kin sister simply nodded, even if not fully aware of the whole impact of the situation. "Yeah, I don't even want to know what this bastard does to Raven, especially since I effectively laughed off his own prediction." She laughed bitterly and I could see in her eyes that her former kinsman had lost any respect left with my sister. I dreaded the day they'd face each other. Learning about this other, obviously reincarnated Adonis – or Danburite as he called himself back then –, had helped me understand Minako's wonder about my old master's arrival and the pain associated with him.

"He was not too pleased when I informed him about your mate, that's true. If I had been on my right mind, I would surely have expected him turning up at our match..." Minako shot me a look that clearly said I should let the "guilt trip" rest and better concentrated on the situation at hand. I was pleased to see that my kin sister was in a much better mood today, even if slightly subdued and with a great deal of self-restrain. I could see very clearly now why Venus had been selected as the Senshi's leader, it was situations like this her true qualities shone through.

"Anyway," I continued. "Adonis will not be too far of. I can still feel a strong unnatural presence in the air and that would not be the case, if he left the area. I think we should start looking as soon as possible." Minako took her last sip of that terran liquid called tea and stood up. "The first good idea this morning. I call Kathryn and then we can split in teams." There was a burst of determination in her aura that made me proud all over again. The young princess I knew had not lost her touch through rebirth, if anything she was even more stronger – shaped by hardships of life – than ever.

As my kin sister left the kitchen I stole a curious glance at Artemis, suddenly finding myself pondering something that the white cat had mentioned briefly before. "You are not that much worried about Saturn awakening than the demon you think is battling for control within her." It was not a question but one of the last remaining Mau residents answered anyway. "I have a vague hope that the mating bond between Venus and her proves too much of a binding to be a threat. The other presence though. I have no idea what exactly it is, only that _it_ certainly is no ordinary Youma or anything related to Metallia's minions. And it _is_ powerful that much I can tell. Let us just hope that the pendant protects her until we found them."

"Yeah, let's hope that," I replied dully because we surely did not need another unknown power playing havoc on our little merry group. "Any intention of calling for backup?" I asked the logical conclusion to my thoughts. Artemis didn't answer for a long time, looking out at the dark clouds, looming like an impending menace over the land. "Believe me," he said at last. "I am strongly tempted."

(Hotaru)

---Flashback (about six years ago)---

"Hotaru-chan? Are you alright, we want to go?" I blinked, considerably. The first thing I was certain about was that I couldn't remember what exactly happened in the near past and how I ended up here… Wherever here was? Probably a dream, which meant I was "dreamwalking" again but,,, Wait, did someone call me by my name and wasn't that voice…? My eyes went upwards as my alter ego that I was currently co-hosting looked up and if it would be my body to command, I sure as hell would have fainted right away. There, framed by a gentle face of a middle-aged woman with shoulder-long black hair, were the most enchanting violet eyes, eyes that I would… could never forget. Frankly the woman was the spitting mirror image of myself or maybe I should phrase it the other way round. The woman in question was my long dead, oh so beloved mother…

"Huh? Gomen, Okaasan, I just had the weirdest feeling." Hey, I remembered that! That did happen and I had until now not clearly determined what this weird feeling was, but seeing it now, that was probably my dream essences – or something like that – merging with her. Don't blame me, the ability didn't come with a instruction booklet. My mother smiled at me warmly. "That's okay, Hotaru-chan, we all have these sometimes."

"Knowing her, she probably thinks its prophetic." I – or better my counterpart though I was strongly tempted myself – turned an annoyed look in the direction of the voice. There, already halfway through the door, stood a dark-brown haired girl around four or five at least. Her ruby-purple eyes flashed a little in a silent challenge. "And you would know anything about it, Imouto-chan?" My sister – a word which sent a shiver down my spine – shook her head. "No, but I'm at least not pretending." My counterpart huffed and our mother chuckled. "Now stop that, will you? We promised your father we will be there on time, so that we don't mess up his time schedule."

Around somewhere I knew then this particular event took place, as if I hadn't had enough pointers already. That was The Day. The day when we went to my father's labs, the day where _it_ happened, changing our and especially my life forever. I could not allow that, I had to do something, I had to warn Otousan… But nothing of that was in the reach of possibility. This was merely a dream, a memory at best and I could not influence it, so I could only witness through my counterparts eyes as the happy family went out to meeting their dreadful fate…

---End Flashback---

"Such dark thoughts for a young thing like you."

My head literally snapped up when my awareness was yanked back into reality. The first thing I noticed was that I couldn't move either my arms or legs which were outstretched and bounded by an unseen yet powerful force. The space surrounding me was dark and menacing. The simple feel of the air gave me a chill down my spine and the fact that there was nothing that could clearly be seen in the overflowing darkness was unsettling to say the least. My mind still occupied and shaken from the sudden, painful memory was still trying to orient itself as my eyes fell on the tall, lean figure directly in sight. The man was handsome beyond question. With long gold-brown hair, curled into tiny locks, a smooth face, a muscular body and South European skin. His eyes were of a deep dark blue and the sign of Venus was resting on his forehead…

"You," I snarled, my memory returning in a blinding rush. The man, I know had to be Adonis, just smirked and waved a finger mockingly. "Now, now… Is that any way to behave around elders?" My eyes hardened as I felt the familiar cold feeling rise up inside of me. "What do you want with me? If you think, you can lure my mate…" All of a sudden Adonis stood directly in front of me, one hand under my chin as he held it with a firm grip that began to hurt. "Your _mate_? Do you really think you can qualify for that role even in the slightest?" I know fully well from what Minako told me that Adonis had a cruel obsession with Venus that went a long time back into the Silver Millennium era. Backed by the confidence of Minako's full support and love, I looked at him unfazed. "Hit a nerve, didn't I?"

Adonis' face changed into one of anger for a brief moment before he let go of me and relaxed, still I think I earned a few points here. "Pah, as if a mere terran could truly fill the role at the side of the Goddess of Venus." He slowly turned to walk back to where he originally stood. "Never heard anything more funny." Though I could not agree with him, he struck a few nerves with that. Exactly that had been a lot of my concerns lately. How could I actually think to be Venus' ultimate fulfillment? How could I dare claim the Love Goddess as mine? But when I think back on the past several days and especially on our initiate mating night, I knew it was true and my confidence was well-founded.

"Anyway," Adonis said nonchalantly, as if the brief display of obsessive jealousy had never transpired. "I think, you will make a formidable ally, once your potential is triggered. Lets see what you say when you face your own _mate_ in battle." Instantly an icy fear gripped me. Triggering my potential? Did he mean the demon or whatever was inside of me? If where was anything I truly feared it was this malevolent personality inside of me to take control and destroy my new life that I had built with such effort in the previous days as it had done so many times before. The thought that I might hurt… No, no, never! "I won't hurt her, never," I said out loud though I knew my voice was shaking.

Adonis looked at me with a satisfied grin. "Oh really? Just like you would never hurt Megumi, right?" Before I could even begin to register the shock this statement send through me, he held up a hand a bolt of pure black lightning struck me with full force. I cried out in pain as the energy crackled and discharged all over my body. Scenes were playing before my mind eye, scenes I wanted to banish from my conscious but that would almost remain and come haunting me. Scenes of a laboratory, a glass globe, my fingers touching the globe, a dark sphere forming, a burst of flames… When her, consumed in fire, her face horribly distorted but her eyes with a scaring clarity flashing brightly, locked directly on me. *It's all your fault! Okaasan and me died because of you!* I pressed my eyes shut but the face would not vanish, the pain more emotionally than physically, would not stop. And all the while only her words echoing through my mind. Your fault! Your fault! Your fault! Ever and ever again. I began to sob quietly, to drained to scream, just whispering the name. "Megumi… Imoutochan…"

I did not see Adonis leave the room or the pendant concealed under my clothing beginning to glow softly.

(Minako)

Another day had passed and nothing had come out of a constant search in which we literally turned every stone in the area of several dozen miles. I began to doubt the logic of Priapos that Adonis was probably hiding nearby, even if I had to admit it was the most likely of possibilities. That just left the question where the heck was he? I winced slightly as a wave of despair crashed against my mental shields and which painfully reminded me that Hotaru was still out there, held hostage by a guy who was obsessive with me and aligned with dark forces. There was no telling what he would do to my girlfriend but wherever she was and whatever he did, it surely was traumatic. The distress and emotionally torment was so strong the first few times I received the echo over our bond that I had to block the connection on my side, making it one-way so that I still was able to pour my love through it. The shields were up constantly but it still registered and stung a little which was the proof of the intensity of the emotions.

_Kuso, I hate waiting_, I thought bitterly. If we would not turn up with results soon, I might as well explode with dreaded anticipation. I really wondered now, how Usagi had managed to cope as she did with Mamoru captured and probably put through hell itself. Yes, sure, she was in no better shape than I the first days but recovered quickly enough, even with her beloved turning up as the enemy. I did not know, if my spirit would be able to survive a confrontation with my mate. If Adonis truly managed to turn her, as Priapos and Artemis seemed to fear…

I reacted with the speed and instincts accustomed with a Senshi, as I vaulted forward, the energy blade just barely missing me, as I catapulted into a spiral and landed elegantly in a defensive position. Priapos withdraw her weapon, inches away from penetrating the floor and looked at me sternly. "If I wanted to do, this would have sliced you in half before you even noticed." My eyes hardened but unfortunately I knew she wasn't lying. An Efadio would never attack all-out from behind against a honorable foe. If she had meant to kill me, when she would have surely been able to.

"What do you want?" I asked cautiously at last. Priapos held her weapon lazily, while I had one hand hovering right at the entrance of subspace. The elf shook her head and for a minute there I thought I was looking at my old teacher and sparring partner, only to realize that it wasn't just an impression. "I know you are distraught about the welfare of your mate, sister. But you need to be more focused and let your emotions be a tool of strength, instead a pitiful excuse for distraction. If you go out there in this state to face Adonis, your beloved is already doomed."

I arched an eyebrow at that, my confidence and pride rising already with her truth-filled taunts. I knew fully well that I was far behind the state of training I had in my younger years at court with my kin sister. She was a master in combat, physical and magically and had outmatched me quickly when she came to be my bodyguard and further along my sensei. Most of what my old self knew was her doing because she always managed to bring me to new heights. This situation brought back memories of a happier time, of a similar situation where I used to be equally distracted at times. Priapos had always managed to trigger my pride and therefore push me to train even harder.

With a flash, I held the manifested and transformed Venus Tear in my hands and answered my kin sisters barely visible amusement with a grim grin of my own. (A/N: A grim grin, hehe… J) "Let's see who is doomed, huh?" Priapos jumped into the air to land a few feet at my side and we turned towards each other, weapons raised in an unspoken challenge. Without further words we rushed forward…

---Flashback---

Energy lashed out to the sides when my blade collided with that of my sensei. The elf was quickly pressing for an advantage and gaining good ground at this. But I wouldn't give up so easily. Pria had managed to stir my pride once again after defeating me in our training sessions again and again, to a point where it was almost humiliating. Remembering all the teachings from my kin sister and best friend I emptied my mind and tuned my spirit and soul fully to the emotions and feelings from my heart. The inner strength of the Senshi of Venus, the child of love was founded in the heart, in the unyielding believe and love for other people. I was to protect those who felt love, I was to spread love, I was to show love. Nothing could hurt me, if my love for mankind and all good creatures in existence was unwavering because love was a force to be reckoned.

Quick and precise like an arrow, sharp and deadly like a blade, withstanding and unfaltering like a shield of the strongest metal forged, I moved and stood my ground, meeting my opponent blow for blow, never letting go of the strong emotions in my heart that were my birthright and my fate.

---End Flashback---

The green blade wavered violently when it was caught between two of my own ones. I twisted the cross-like weapon and yanked with one sharp motion while seemingly slipping on the ground. The movement caught Priapos totally off guard and rendered her unarmed in an instant. I managed to catch my intended fall and turn it in into a backflip.

We stood facing each other for a few more seconds, catching our breaths. I had no idea how long we had fought but from the position of the sun, it had to be close to an hour. I had totally lost track of time which was partly due to the sudden memory flash. Finally I lowered the Venus Tear and put it away again. Priapos smiled lopsidedly, though I could tell from her eyes that she was not only satisfied but actually proud. "Feeling better?" she asked not the slightest bit out of breath.

I considered the question for a moment before answering equally steady: "Much." It was that I still felt emotionally wrecked and torn but once again my kin sister managed to remind me that feelings, emotions were my strongest weapon beside my command over metal. By not letting the knowledge and sentiment of my beloved pains affect and distract me, but instead using this wisdom to further fuel my determination to find a rescue my mate, that was the much better way to handle the situation.

Priapos smirked but her features softened quickly. "Its okay to hurt alongside your mate, otherwise I doubt your bond would even be strong enough but don't let it interfere with the ultimate goal." I nodded solemnly. "Right."

(Hotaru)

I had it enough with the dreams already! I had no idea how long I had been here, I had not seen my captor in a very long time that felt a lot like days at least. And time and time again I would slip into unconscious just to be rewarded with yet another memory of my dark past. Of the events that shaped me for years. And all the while there was the accusing image of my sister, Megumi, her eyes icy and her features hardened, just like the very haunting memory she was. As much as I knew her words were uttered to bring me far beyond guilt, I could not deny how much I was truly effected by her simple statements.

Megumi and me used to be like fire and ice. Most of the sister rivalry at the tender age of eight was a charade though and deep down we really cared for each other. Both of us were unusually developed for our age. This was not so much due to growing up with a professor as a father or an athletic expert as our mother but both us shared a highly awareness of our surroundings and how to react to circumstances which deepened the inherited talents from our parents. Where Megumi was more the athletic type, coming quite nicely after our mother, I had always pursued to further heightened my natural intellect. Megumi was always a bit jealous of me because I often used to play the part of the wise, older sister.

What did freak her out at times was my tendency to fall into sudden trances and talk about visions and the like. I mean come on, a eight year-old who talks about occult stuff, what would you think? Megumi often teased me as a bit weird but never paid it much mind. What aggravated her more was that our mother often took a great deal of care and patience to listen to me when I "acted weird". I think she never really understood why mother spend so much time with me when it was her who tried to carry on her talents.

Despite the fact that we were two rather premature sisters, we were a rather happy family with a steady – if not even wealthy – income thanks to my father. Until The Day. I can't really recall much about the whole event other than bits and pieces and from those I truly didn't know, if they were only pictures my mind formed from the nightmares. All I knew was that I woke up later in my father's bed and discovered that I was hurting all over. I had never experienced so much pain before and then my father told me that mother and Megumi were dead, caught in the explosion of his labs that we just barely and by some miracle escaped _mostly_ unharmed… Let's just say that was about the last straw to my sanity as everything I knew and took for granted crumbled around me.

In this period of deep and long depression came the nightmares, further fueled with the sudden attacks on my health that I would know for nearly six years until now as a constant reminder. And with them came the visions of Megumi. My little sister like the very incarnation of a vengeance demon, loathing and accusing me of being responsible for her and my mother's death. Me, she said, it had been me attracting what caused the resulting explosion. It had all been my fault. I did not have the power to fight the visions back then, retreating further and further into my own misery, my occasional of sociality destroyed by the picture the people I dealt with had formed about me.

Now though, ever since I had met Minako, I thought I finally got a grip on my life. I thought I had managed to put the haunting nightmares behind me and live again. I had somehow earned myself a girlfriend I often felt I never deserved, I had made friends with her friends and I had finally felt and let happiness in my dark, useless seeming life. But now, caught in the grip of an obsessive "bad guy" I had to go through all this again, experience the heartache and despair of years of a dull and haunted existence again.

"Iie," I whispered as I struggled against yet another vision, another painful memory. "Onegai…" It was of no use and as I felt my conscious slip away, the only comfortable feeling was the calming presence of the pendant against my chest.

---Flashback---

I all but wanted to slam the door behind me in a volcanic-range anger. Instead I simply closed it without any sound at all and slowly walked over to my bed there I sat down and promptly buried my head into the soft covers. Silent tears began to flow freely. Tears I didn't want anyone to see or anyone to know about. Especially not the cold-hearted Kaori. This school day was the worst in a long time. A witch, they called me. Again. For probably the nth-time now. Normally that didn't concern me but today I had lost my best friend, the only one whoever bothered to stand up for me and remain at my side no matter what. Keika-chan, the sweet child of an artist friend of my passed mother. We had gotten along good since sandbox age… How could I possible hurt her, either physically or emotional?

But I had did, didn't I? And I never ever remembered it. Yesterday at school was just the usual blur in my mind after experiencing once again one of my attacks that threatened me since the accident in father's lab. And then I had gone and healed her with my abnormal powers that everyone else despised so much. I would never forget the look in her eyes, the look of outright fear that Keiko had never shown around me as long as I remembered. It was, as if she was suddenly aware of what a freak I truly was.

Yeah, a freak, a weak, unhealthy, inhuman witch of a freak. I hated myself. What was that for an existence? Was there any purpose for me anyway? How could I just drive away the only friend I ever had? That was more of a proof that what they said was right after all. All the names, the imputations, they were all correct. I was nothing but a freak with freaky powers, powers that hurt the people around me more than help them.

*And kill them you mean?* I did not even care hearing the familiar, haunting voice of Megumi in my head, probably relishing in the sweetness of my misery. I didn't care because I simply did not have the power anymore to fight back. What for anyway? I had nothing to defend than myself and I was hardly worthy the attention. *That is totally right, Oneechan. You are not worthy of anything. Not worthy of happiness because you hurt them all. Hurt them like you hurt Okaasan and me, ne?* Megumi's voice was spitting and venomous and I felt my head beginning to hurt with another physical and psychical breakdown.

"Onegai," I whispered lacking strength to only mouth more than actually say it. *You don't deserve happiness and you don't deserve death either because it would be to light of an excuse.* My pillow by now was totally soaked and I gripped my head tightly. "Onegai, stop…" But the haunting voice of my sister did not stop. *Why should I? You never gave anything about what I said, what I wanted. It was always all about you. Mom loved you, she adored you, thought that you were gifted and what do you repay her with, hm? WHAT?*

I had my eyes tightly shut as the pain intensified and through the swirling of lights dancing in front of me, I saw the flashes coming repeatedly, again and again. The laboratory active and my father warning me not to lean to close to the experiments concealed under the glass globes, my hand reaching out with curious fingers, a dark sphere forming, a far distant whisper in my head. Then the flames and the horrifying vision of seeing my mother and sister consumed by flames, all the while their voices mingling, chanting: *What have you done now? You caused this? It's all your fault that we are dead! Your fault! Your fault! You fault!*

*WAKE UP!* The force of the voice bore a commanding tone that it could have belonged to Kami-sama himself and it vaulted at once out of the state that I had lost myself while reliving my memory. I did not at once react and I wondered why nothing colossal happened right away. But then I felt a sudden wave of pure love engulfing my spirit through the bond shared with my mate. A picture of Minako appeared before my mind eye, radiantly smiling and that all for me. All at once, I let my mind relax and cherish the feeling of being loved and cared for. What was I doing so blindly losing myself in the memory of a life I would more than like to forget. I had my happiness now and nobody would or could take it from me. Not Megumi, not Adonis, not anyone! A burst of confidence flowed through me and I focused my spirit on the source of the commanding voice, determined to follow its command.

With a flash I found myself in a strange place. A strange place because I hadn't been here in over half a decade. My mother's old room. Everything was as it used to be. The comforting glow of lamps and a couple of candles, the posters on the walls and the trophies of the achievements on the shelves. But what took me completely off guard and threatened to give me a heart attack was the woman sitting relaxed in the old armchair. Her features not aged and the dark hair as similar to mine as I remembered. "Okaasan…"

I stared disbelieving at the figure who resembled my mother so much, my heart was pounding so fast I thought it would burst every moment. The features, everything, it was all perfect and yet, yet I could not believe what I was seeing, it could not possibly be. How could it be? I thought… I froze in mid-thought as my mother's gentle eyes rested on me and there was something wet running down my cheek. Tears. "Little Hime-chan," the person who looked like my mother said softly and I thought my hear would surely burst. That feeling, that comforting voice, it could only mean… mean…

"Okaasan!" I rushed forward to throw myself at my mother and she readily engulfed me in her arms. We stayed that way for a few moments of eternity but yet so utterly short, before my mother gently but firmly held me at arms length. "My child, I am so proud of you." Proud? "Demo…" She hushed me with a finger to my lips. "Do not say anything. I know already. You should not doubt yourself, you have a very strong spirit and the confidence of your mate fuels you greatly. You alone have the strength to fight your darker side. It is in you, the potential has always been there." She took the pendant I had nearly forgotten in one hand and I gasped in surprise when I saw it glowing in a dim silver with a stronger violet outline. "This is merely an anchor and can only work as long as there still is belief in you. And belief you must, for your whole life lies before you. A life worthy of a princess…"

At this point I felt my protest rising, the haunting vision from before springing to my mind. "But Megumi said…" My mother shook her head. "Nonsense. The only thing you hear is your subconscious, your self-doubt that plagued your mind from the moment you realized that you alone survived. This has been fueled over the years by the demon inside of you, gnawing on this dark emotions. You think you are unworthy for this world, you think that it somehow was your fault, you want to believe that there wasn't anything to live for. But is it now? Do you still believe that? Isn't there at least one thing you want to live for?" Her voice was stern and in this sort of lecturing tone she often used with me when she wanted to rebuke me about something.  Suddenly I had Minako's smiling face before me again and then her expression when I was taken by Adonis… "Mina-chan…"

My mother smiled softly and touched my cheek, wiping a few tears away. "Do you want her to get hurt?" Hurt? Mina-chan? I? I shook my head violently, the thought too appealing to even form. "Then live, Hotaru-chan, because that is what she wants you to do. Don't give into darkness and the temptation of death. Never do this or you'll lose her." Lose… Minako… "Iie," I whispered barely audible. "Then believe in your mate, be strong for her and make her proud. Nobody can control you, if you don't want to…" My surroundings began to blur and the image of my mother faltered. I reached out desperately but my hand passed right through the image. "Okaasan!" Mother smiled sadly. "Believe, Hime-chan, believe and save… your sister…" I gasped, trying fruitlessly to hold control over the dream. "Nande? What do you mean? Megumi is…" It was too late.

(From the diary of Aino Minako)

Maybe this will be the last time I'm writing in this thing. I have no idea what will happen tomorrow but I feel the need to make this maybe last entry. To make matters short, after two more long days we finally found Adonis' hideout. The time passed like a blur but at the same time it could have also been an eternity. By now I am torn between totally shielding myself from the echoes of my bond to Hotaru or totally opening to give her my full support against whatever torment she has to endure. Either option would probably bring me on the verge of insanity and it is only due to Priapos that I aren't already rendered useless. There has been a shift in the bond today, something strong and peaceful that has not been there and that let me hope. Hotaru had reached out to me and for a brief moment I could actually see that she trusted me, that she was waiting for me. That helps enormously to relax, I tell you.

When we were not out in the area searching, Priapos and I have been training nonstop as we used to do in the old times. That has not only sharpened my reflexes and instincts to a level where I can feel the wind currents and every movement within but also my skill has improved. Priapos put me literally through hell these days. The fruits are worth it though. While my first training session had been pure instinct backed up by Hebe's memory, by now I don't really need the memory anymore. In the past I have always considered Artemis' training hard but compared to Priapos' teachings every small child could probably please my partner. No, that are two whole different worlds.

My kin sister is a hard but patient teacher and if it will ever comes to the point where I fight with the others again, they can surely benefit from this. The others, yes. That has been another issue that Artemis and I discussed for a LONG time. I am not really sure why but I strongly insisted that nobody is to learn about this. That decision was merely benefit to Usagi's wish for peace and a simple life. I valued that high, however, I also feel like this is something that I have to do on my own. It is my problem, my girlfriend and mate and my personal feud with Adonis. I know the others would not hesitate to help out and I wish I had the courage to tell them. But… I cannot do this.

Even though all this was like a row of coincidences or maybe even fate, I have gotten myself into this mess, I have lost Hotaru to the enemy through my lack of resolve and my inability to protect her. When Endymion had been kidnapped, we had all been present but nobody was able to do anything. In a way we had all failed that's why we felt responsible as much as Usagi. With Hotaru, however, it had been completely in my power to protect her. I didn't though and that's what gives me the most powerful of self-doubts.

Apart from that I had been active solo for almost two years than I first became Sailor V. I am used to work alone with only Artemis and a few background resources at my disposal. I know I could pull this off, I only have to believe as much as I did when rescuing Priapos. Yeah, sounds easier than it is, right? And to say the truth I feel confident but not to the point where I am not weary and cautious. That has brought me into this situation. A certain amount of fear is good because it helps to stay on the ground and see clearly. The path is a small one but I am willing to follow it. No, I MUST follow it.

The rare times where we weren't sparing Priapos and I used to rekindle. I was telling her about my life here on Earth, the life of Aino Minako, about our battle with the Dark Kingdom, our final sacrifice, Usagi's wish; I told her about Hiroshi and the others and how much Hotaru in a few days has managed to change everything. She listened patiently and I am glad about it. Priapos began to regard and respect me as the human being I am now. Aino Minako, with the spirit of Princess Hebe but a completely new life. 

In turn the elf, I had come to think of as much a sister as Hebe does, helped me to remember a lot more from our shared past, my early childhood as Princess Hebe. I remembered the first time we met, the time when we were playing in the flourishing flora and fauna of our mother star. We were happy back then, innocent and without much care in the world. Even the training sessions, the formal and battle practice for my destined mission was viewed from the eyes of innocent children. It was all like a big game for us, the future of responsibility so far, far away… And the day had come so quick and merciless where we were forced into sudden adulthood at an age so young and tender it was hard to believe. We suddenly had to face the harsh reality of the world or better the universe around us. It was time for a parting and it had literally tore us apart.

So, yesterday I found myself mulling over this, alone at a late hour barely able to sleep…

The wind had worn down over the day and the sky was a bit clearer, up to a point where you could see the Moon lurking through the clouds and some stars twinkling. All in all a rather peaceful evening and a reminder of the time Hotaru and I used to sit out here late and watch the stars. How I wished she were here, how I wished that was finally over or better never even happened to begin with. "Are you looking up at the Moon now, too," I thought out loud, my mind briefly drifting back home to Tokyo, my friends there that not even remembered me or the time we shared. "I miss you… Minna-san." Yes, I did, however, my decision stood, I could not bring them into this. As things were, I doubted that it was long anyway before the time came for us to stand together again for the sake of the world. This though, this was my mess, my battle. I had to prove it to me and especially to Hotaru that I could pull this of. That had nothing to do with foolish bravery, I simply felt obligated to do so. Besides, it would take to long to explain everything and we didn't have this time. First informing and convincing Luna, then awakening the others. Explaining everything and getting them here. No, that battle would be over in a few days, one way or another.

"I'm sure they do." I snapped out of my trance, embarrassed that I let my guard down so easily that I hadn't even heard Priapos approach. With all the training she shoved onto me, my instincts should have covered that. The elf – slipped out of her disguise since she was more comfortable that way – sat down beside me. "It's alright, Minako. Even a warrior needs to relax or they start to see danger around every corner." I sighed gratefully and looked up at the sky again. We were silent for a very long time.

"Did I make the right choice? It could be so easy but yet…" I trailed of but my kin sister caught on quickly. "It could also be too late." Priapos was silent for a moment. "We all make sacrifices one way or another. Whatever you choose, you end up risking someone's happiness anyway. I know the choice is hardly fair and I wouldn't have blamed you, if you decided to awaken the others for that. I'm sure they would have understand. Then again, you were always kind of stubborn when it came down to settling personal affairs… I mean… Hebe was." I giggled at the memory of this, remembering something from my past life on cue. "You mean like I went out all alone into the underground tunnels to rescue my favorite doll that went down there?" Priapos stiffened a laugh. "Something like that."

The event was quite ridiculous. We were both still very young, six or seven maybe, I didn't quite remember. I wasn't really into those things like dolls and everything but the particular one had been a gift from my kin sister and it accidentally went down into what could be compared to our local sewers. Not so stinky and unclean due to the high magical influence on Venus but there were a lot of tales spun from the adults about this tunnels. Tales about ruthless monsters and the sort. I had went down anyway with Priapos following like a dutiful bodyguard, even though I told her all the time I could and would do this alone. We ended up running from the huge shadow of a monster, that turned out as nothing more than a very quick spider that chased us down the tunnels… But we found the doll in the end.

Priapos and I smiled at the memory and just kept sitting there for a while before I felt my kin sister's hand rest on my shoulder. "We'll find her… I promise." I caught the slight hesitation in her eyes and the twinkle of sadness in her voice. "What's wrong, Pria? You're not blaming yourself again, are you?" As loyal as she was, sometimes the elf was going a bit overboard with it. That behavior was no different to what she used to be like in the old days, only a bit more reserved now. I had told her time and time again that she wasn't responsible for Hotaru's captivity but as good as I know her she was probably still blaming herself for so blindly following Adonis and whoever stood behind his plans. I was certain where was someone behind it because the guy was never _that_ smart!

"No, not really," my kin sister replied finally, heaving a sigh. "I just wish I would know more. All I know is that I shouldn't even be in this time, we never should have come here but… I don't even remember why or how we came here." I could make out confusion mingled with the need to understand. I realized that it must be awful to not now what has happened to you. I tried to imagine what it would have been like then a ten-year old Hebe had woken up in our time one day… Scary. Hebe in me shuddered, I think.

"Understandable," I said out loud. "I think we both would really like to know what caused this, huh? I mean come on time travel. I'm sure Adonis couldn't have pulled this off alone." The elf laughed. "Not likely. I don't know really, I never was so high up to get any clues, just followed orders. Oh, I feel so stupid."

"Ask Endymion about it, when you ever get to meet him again," I replied and Priapos was silent, mulling this one other. Then, as if suddenly having made up her might she grinned. "I'm an idiot for playing depressed here, right? After all I should be here to cheer _you_ up, not the other way around." You are doing it already, I smiled to myself silently. Out loud I answered her grin with one of my own. "Yup, definitely making a baka out of yourself." Priapos hmphed but laughed anyway…

I have to thank her for that really. If it wasn't for Pria, I would have gone crazy already. She manages to pull me out of my misery no matter what. Really amazing actually but I should not complain. Hebe and I are not that different apart from growing up in different societies with different rules and traditions. That probably is why we aren't so different because both of us never gave much of a thought about style, behavior or such things. Who cared what the society dictated? Hebe just wanted to live and enjoy that life and so do I. Therefore Priapos doesn't have such a hard time adjusting.

As I said before, we found the hideout. It is pretty silly actually. You know, there is an old military base here in the area. Kathryn had explained that it was mostly unused but every now and then either police or military would practice there. We had discarded the place on mutual agreement at first, thinking that Adonis would never choose such an obvious place. And that's probably what he had hoped for. We got the hint about the reports of strange activities around the base from Kathryn who urged us to look into that matter since there was absolutely nothing scheduled for months. Well, we went and surprise! Youma running over the place and dark energy everywhere. We never managed to spot Adonis or Hotaru for that matter but what we saw was enough for Priapos, Artemis and me. A diversion was one thing but for a diversion the energy level was much too high.

Gah, really, we have been running around our target the whole time and never even seen the obvious. For the gist of it, I can't get the feeling out of my system that something had deliberately led us on. Be it as it is. Tomorrow we are going to raid this place full of Youma and the Kami-knows-what. But Adonis is there and with him Hotaru, that is a given. I had felt a strong pull from our bond while we were hiding and observing. I am going to get Hotaru out of there and if it is the last thing I do.

Hopefully until next time, _dear_ diary.

Your

Minako

(Hotaru)

The silence around me had been eerie and unnerving for most of the time, so had been the impenetrable darkness. There was nothing I could see or hear with the exception of my own breathing and the voices in my head. Megumi's voice and those of other people I only vaguely know. However, they were gone now. The voices were gone and the only thing that remained was me, me and the protective glow of the pendant. I had my eyes closed because it really didn't make any difference. There wasn't Megumi's face like before, where weren't anymore dreams threatening my heart. Nothing could or would get through to me, only my mate, for who I waited with new confidence and calm.

Footsteps. Someone was coming. I opened my eyes and relaxed my trance to the point where I could perceive my surroundings again. The darkness was giving way to a figure that stepped into the room and without looking, I knew who it was. "So you decided to stop by after all." With a wave of his hand Adonis lightened a few torches and I had to resist the urge to squint against the sudden light. The tall man's eyes focused on mine and I saw the glimmer of surprise there. "And you are still resisting. Incredible."

He stepped closer to let his hands glide over my body. _Do not show fear, nor disgust. He cannot hurt you._ Repeating the mantra in my head, I refused to shudder, even as his hands reached my face and he tipped with one finger against my forehead. I lifted my eyes to meet his and smiled grimly. "I believe." Adonis raised one eyebrow. "In my MATE," I clarified, emphasizing the word with as much force as I was able to. Dark energy crackled around his fingertip in response and I continued smiling with indifference. He was no threat to me. "I might have to be more persistent then."

Cold electricity danced across my skin, scraping it but not yet released. Before anything could happen though, there was a sudden flash and the power discharged, burning its caster. Adonis flinched and stepped back. "What was that?" I felt my pendant glowing brightly and I was pretty sure he could see it now too. As if to confirm that theory, Adonis suddenly lunged forward and pulled the silver artifact out of its concealment. For a moment the Venusian man just stared at the object in his hands before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "I see."

*This is merely an anchor and can only work as long as there still is belief in you.* Adonis hands began to glow as he attempted to yank the pendant right from my neck but I held true to my mother's words and focused all my spiritual power I had collected over the last hours since the dream encounter into the pendant. I focused my belief and my love for Minako and secured the so fragile looking strings holding the pendant around my neck with it. Adonis recoiled, as if a lightning bolt had struck him. I smiled. _Arigato, Okaasan._

Not much people knew. I think I am probably the only person alive who knew about mother's abilities and her secret profusion, the skill she had perfected over the years. Most people didn't believe in such things as magic, supernatural phenomena or such. But I did, even more now after what I have experienced since meeting Minako. And I knew mother did too because she was a mage. A not very strong in matters of force but an extremely gifted one. She showed me a lot of things and the reason why mother always spent time with me and reminded me to never ignore my visions, was because she knew I was gifted too. Gifted in a way, she said, she didn't understand. I didn't really believe it back then, I was a child despite my high-tuned senses after all. And after the incident, how could I believe then? If anything, I thought, the only thing I was gifted in, was to hurt the people I loved. Not anymore. I understood now, as long as I thought that I was indeed the cause of their pain, as long as I didn't believe in the good of my own heart, it would never end.

"You cannot control me. Nobody can control me," I said calmly the pendant glowing brightly in response. Adonis cursed. "Damn you, if you don't want to give in lightly, when I…" A crash and a distant explosion interrupted his outburst and my captor whirled around. "What…" Another explosion, this time a bit closer. I felt along the line of our bond and was pleased to find my suspicion confirmed. "Seems to me, as if my belief holds true after all."

Adonis turned his head in my direction, with an annoyed snarl in his face. "We will see." And with a flash he was gone. I was alone again but that was alright, because Minako was close. I would just have to hold out a little longer and Adonis would probably be to occupied to bother me again. Not that he could harm me anyway. However… I hoped Minako would be alright, I prayed for her safety and wished I could do something more to aid her beside believing. I hated to be always the weak one, once in my life I wanted to actively help the person I loved.

*What would you be willing to give for it?* I hesitated. This voice wasn't of the ominous, dark presence that spooked around my head for six years now. No, that was purer, more familiar and yet strange. I felt it before, even before the incident. This cold, yet calming presence that gave me strength when I needed it the most. *Everything.*

*Then prove me that.* And with that my eyes fell shut and my body relaxed, as I began to fight a battle of my own, a battle that only I could fight and only I could win. A battle against myself.

(Minako)

"Alright. This is it."

Artemis, Kathryn, Priapos and I were crouched down right outside the military base. Youma could be seen walking around and guarding the area. Apparently to the common eye this place would still seem to be empty. I could tell because Kathryn had to strain herself to even see the creatures that did not exist in normal people beliefs. And even I could see the faint glimmer of something around the base preventing the true source of the "odd activity" to be discovered.

I looked to my left and right, casting last questioning glances at my comrades and received determined nods. I was a bit reluctant to let Kathryn join this battle but she had felt responsible also for Hotaru and I was sure that I could not hold her back anyway. It was time then. Time that we brought this struggle to a conclusion and Hotaru back home.

"Matte, Mina-chan." I turned to Artemis and saw him performing a backflip which produced a small pen with a five-pointed star on top and the symbol of Venus in the middle. My partner looked up at me with a grim expression. "Take this. You are ready for the next stage, more than ready." I picked up the new transformation and studied it determined for a moment. Words sprang to my mind and I didn't hesitate to call them out. "VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"

A moment later I launched myself straight over the electric fence, right beside me was Artemis while my kin sister cleared the way for Kathryn with a quick slash. As expected the moment we passed the invisible area every creature out in the open was upon us in a flash. "CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!" With a barrage of beams I cleared a path for Priapos and Kathryn who was equipped with a strange laser-like weapon – I did not even want to know where that came from – at my sides. With a flash the extended Venus Tear was in my hands and we rushed forward.

The onslaught of monsters was restless and we had to fight for every inch but when we finally reached the inside of the quite huge base, the true challenge was yet to began. Youma were falling left and right and more came. Most of them were weak but it would not be long until we encountered the stronger ones. And yet we did not falter in our advance, pushing forward slowly but steadily. The time of waiting, the time of hesitation had long passed, none of us would surrender or retreat.

I could only marvel at the strength and the devotion of my kin sister and my dear friend Kathryn. Even though it was not truly their fight, both would stand with me no matter what. Kathryn was not like us, yet she fought the best she could, never giving reason for us to slow down. For her Hotaru had become a good friend, someone she could communicate with without the fear of taking her away from me as with Allen. The police officer, knew that she couldn't do much but was willing to give what she could. Without her efforts and resources we might not even have been here and searched around the base for a long time, too long.

I did not even have to think about why Priapos fought with me. As long as I could remember my kin sister had been at my side, in my childhood on Venus, even while I was with the other Senshi on the Moon I always felt her presence right beside me, aiding me, giving me strength. When she was controlled by the enemy it had pained me. Pained not only Hebe but also Minako. And now, now she was devoted to the person I had become. Minako, Hebe, Venus… Priapos cared about all of the aspects, she had come to understand and wanted to do everything to undo the pain she had unintentionally caused her kin sister.

"VENUS WINK-CHAIN SWORD!" The Venus Tear flared brightly and a golden blade shot forward from its tip tearing through a swarm of lesser Youma. I had found out that the mythical stone was to some degree as much a focus as the Ginzuishou was a weapon. It all depended on the heart and the will of the wielder. Magic cast through the Venus Tear was considerably stronger and with lesser strain to the magical reserves. However, the longer I used the crystal, the more intense my heart and feelings were strained, so I had to be careful.

I looked around and saw that we were still surrounded by a good dozen of Youma and we hadn't even left the outer circle. On this rate we would fall before I could reach Hotaru. Priapos was slashing through a Youma just now, while Kathryn held a group with accurate shots of her laser at bay. I decided it was time for some roundhouse action, if we ever were to proceed. Shrugging of my current opponent I jumped up straight into the air, lifting the Venus Tear which reshaped by my will. Priapos immediately recognized one of my verified attacks that we had been practicing and shoved Kathryn to the ground. "GOLDEN RING CIRCLE!" The crystal in my hand glowed a bright gold and expanded into a ring of pure energy slicing through the remaining Youma. The attack was not that spectacular as it seemed, just a variation of the Love-me Chain fueled by the Venus Tear's power.

I landed back on the ground and took a few moments to catch my breath. Energy flooded into me and I felt Priapos' hand on my shoulder. "Arigato," I breathed, then straightened up and looked over to Kathryn who was already flushed from the strain. "Stay here and secure this area." Priapos formed a second blade of magic and tossed it into Kathryn's hands who was a little surprised by that. "These weapons are wielded by the strength of the heart. Wish for it and it will answer you." I shot a questioning look at my older friend who looked down at the blade in her shaking hands but nodded nonetheless.

Priapos and I turned around without a further word and together with Artemis continued into the labyrinth of corridors in search of my abducted mate.

(Hotaru)

My vision cleared slowly and there was an odd feeling in my heart. Somewhat… empty. No, not really empty, more like alone, single. Panicked I reached out to test my connection with Minako and was relieved to find it intact. Still, there was something different and strange, something unfamiliar that I just couldn't figure out. The incredible thing was that I felt relieved as well as troubled by the absence of… it?

Deciding to let the feeling go for the moment, I looked around and noted that my surroundings were by all means unfamiliar, yet something told me I had been here, a long, long time ago. A vast desert lay before me. Most of it was dust or not even sold, like some kind of mist that rose from the ground to make the atmosphere thick and blur one's vision. There was no sun visible to the eye and neither was the Moon. There were moons alright. Yes, MOONS, some of the satellites appeared not to be bigger than small points in the sky from my position but I was absolutely sure these were moons.

Titan, Rhea, Sinope… I counted them off in my head and stopped in mid-thought. _Nani? I am on Saturn? But how…?_ I trailed of looking around closely. It made some kind of sense, with the planets atmosphere and the various number of moons, never mind that I didn't even knew HOW I identified some of them. I didn't remember hearing anything about mist on Saturn, then again no human really had set foot on the planet.

"Nobody but you." I whirled around startled at the deep, cold voice that was frighteningly familiar and similar to my own. There perched on a crumbled stone formation stood a figure clad in a white-violet fuku, similar to that of Venus' but yet with some striking differences. There were for once the long black ribbons from the back bow and the eight-pointed, white crystal on her chest, right in the middle of the black bow. What sent a shiver down my spine though was the gleaming steel of the glaive that the girl held loosely in one hand. The murderous object loomed forebodingly over the short Senshi. Her face, her hair, the skin and body, however. They were all mine.

I stared for several moments at the figure, the presence I felt was familiar and I began to realize it was the same source of power that had risen time and time again to do… something. It wasn't the demon, so much I was sure about. The presence was powerful, destructive yes, but not evil. Clearly not evil. And now I think I knew why.

The Senshi looked at me expectantly but patiently. I tried to meet her eyes but the deep pools swirling with powers virtually shocked me away. The gaze was so intense and yet indifferent, the whole experience was purely eerie. "You… I… I know you… You are… What have you… done?" The Senshi smiled and instead of relieving me, it scared me even more. "Yes, you know me. I have been with you since you were born in this world."

"With me? But you are…" The Senshi's smile never left her face and the indifferent way about it was truly unsettling. "I am Sailorsaturn. The Senshi of Silence, who is the end and the beginning, nemesis and marker of a new cycle. You, Tome Hotaru, are my rebirth." Saturn made a swishing gesture with her weapon and her tiara flashed brightly, giving way to the glowing sign of Saturn on her forehead for a brief moment,

I gulped, blinking repeatedly in vast astonishment at the figure who claimed to be literally me. A part of me, like Hebe was to Minako. I was hardly able to comprehend the thought that I, I out of all people harbored the reborn spirit of a Senshi. Truly I should be surprised, however, somehow I wasn't. Some part in me had always sensed that there was something special inside of me. Something I could not quite grasp, well out of my reach.

"How can it be?" I asked out loud, my voice small and cracking. Saturn shifted her weapon and made another motion with it, as scenes appeared in the air in front of us. I could make out a beautiful palace surrounded by a peaceful, silver ocean. A golden Crescent Moon was seated atop the highest tower. "The Moon Palace in the era of the Silver Millennium," Saturn explained in this indifferent and chilling voice again. The scene shifted and showed familiar shots from a devastating battle, the Senshi fighting monsters, Venus among them, the armies of Metallia were slowly pressing forward. I wanted to look away when the Senshi died through Metallia's dark power but found myself unable to move. Moments later a bright purple flash rushed over the palace, stretching out over the whole moon's surface.

"The era had come to an end," Saturn continued, her voice more like a background narrator now. "It was my time." The scene shifted to the planet of Saturn and a lone figure ascending _out_ of it. In the distance I could see the planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto glowing in faint colors, thin energy lines connecting with Saturn in an irregular pattern. The scene shifted back to the Moon where Sailorsaturn touched down on the cool surface, looking around stoically but yet with a hint of sadness. She walked over to the ruins of the palace and there, leaning on a pillar, lay the dead Queen of the Moon. Saturn kneeled down before her and I could suddenly hear her voice.

"I have come for my first, single and only duty to you." There was no response as was expected from a dead person and if I was not mistaken I could see a single tear fall to the ground from the otherwise expressionless face of the Senshi. *Go with them.* Saturn lifted her head surprised. The Crescent Moon on Serenity's forehead glowed softly. *It is time for the Senshi to unite on Earth. The era has ended, the next must come, it is the sign.* The Senshi hesitated for a brief moment, apparently not sure about the Queen's request. "As you wish," she finally said and rose again.

Lifting her weapon to the sky she called out three words echoing for a long time over the surface of the planet. "DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION!" Ribbons of black and violet emerged from the tip of the glowing scythe – the Silence Glaive – and began to consume everything in their path.

"That is, how." I snapped out of my trance, so caught up in the experience that I had almost forgotten about the _real_ Saturn now standing atop her resting place. "Fourteen years ago, Tome Hotaru was born in this world and with her, as by request of the late Serenity, the Senshi of Saturn." She suddenly hopped forward and landed only a few feet from me, I flinched a bit but hold my ground. "However, my time has not yet come and when this is over, one way or another, you will not remember about our encounter. Yet, you sought my aid in the upcoming struggle your… _mate_ has to endure, is that not so?"

I shivered a little when she pronounced the word "mate" and uncertainly wondered what a Senshi of Saturn's power and standing thought about my mate bond with Minako, her _fellow_ Senshi Venus. I nodded wearily. Saturn smiled again, this time actually a bit warmer. "Your courage and devotion to Venus' reincarnated spirit has moved me and stirred my conscious before my time was about to come. Frankly I didn't actually expect things to turn out like they are, especially..." She swung the Silence Glaive again and drew a flickering thin line of energy in the air, strings of orange-gold and violet-purple curling around each other. Without question Minako and my bond. "… this."

"Ah…" I said and looked up a bit sheepishly, surprised to still find the smile there which I could not determine, if it scared me more than her usual expression or not. "Yeah, this… you see… I… we… I mean, I'm sorry, if I…" Saturn shook her head, cutting me off with a nonchalant gesture. "Do not worry about that. What you do with your life is your quarrel." Her smile faded and her face turned back to cold, indifferent mask, "However, it became my quarrel when you openly requested my help. I heard your wish and will grant it… IF you pass the test."

Yeah sure, should have known. I could not just for once in my life get something for free, right? Oh well, if she meant to test me, she should go ahead. My love to Minako was imperturbable. I knew this and if she was a part of me for all of my life she knew this too. I met her gaze in a silent challenge, letting confidence course through me.

"Very well," Saturn said and tipped the rear end of her weapon against the cool surface, twice.  "Then meet your nemesis." I shivered a little at the choice of words and wondered just what Saturn meant by it. A chill ran down my spine and I sensed a familiar presence that had been absent ever since I entered the dreamscape of Saturn. And now I knew exactly what it was that I had felt missing earlier. Neither the presence of Saturn was present, nor that of the demon… Then that meant, by personal nemesis Saturn was referring to…

A shadow stepped out of the mists, tall and menacing with a defined aura of darkness around it. The features of the… woman became slowly visible. She was wearing a long black dress, her upper chest bare, leaving very little to the imagination. She had a vast amount of jewelry on her body which was tall and radiated a deadly beauty. Long ebony-black hair cascaded in wild strands down her back and long legs. The eyes were a piercing shade of black with a crimson gleam to them, the lips curved into a cruel smile outlined with thick, violet lipstick – or was that natural?

I stepped back uneasily, my eyes never leaving the woman, her gaze fixed on me almost mockingly. She looked down as she stood before the thin line of Minako and my bond and grinned wickedly. Saturn made a short a swift move with her glaive, pointing it threateningly at the woman and shaking her head. The demon snarled but stepped, awfully close and almost brushing, over the energy line. She turned right and walked away from Saturn, positioning herself on one end that the bond marked. Saturn gestured for me and I hesitantly stepped forward to walk to the other end.

"I separated our mingled spirits in order to determine the fate of Tomoe Hotaru and Mistress 9. Both of you have to prove worthy to dominate this body." Saturn pointed the Silence Glaive at the demon called Mistress 9. "I can remove you." The demoness glared but the Senshi ignored it and raised her weapon in striking distance of the bond, which made my heart jump a little. "Or I can cut this." Resting the Silence Glaive once again to the ground, she tapped three times on the ground. "Begin."

(Venus)

I turned a corner and immediately went into a tight roll clearing away from a swift and surely fatal blow from a HUGE Youma with a head like a gorilla and matching arms. Brr… Priapos came rushing in behind me and before the Youma could do so much as scream my kin sisters energy blade cut his head right off, reducing the creature to dust – as usual. We didn't waste time with comments but took position side by side in the thinner hallway, thinner than most of the others. A horde of monster came rushing towards us… Too easy.

Gathering her own magic Priapos let a medium-sized ball of mint-green hovering over the palm of her free hand. I did likewise, calling upon my own given power. "ROLLING HEART VIBRATION!" A bright red heart-shaped blast raced forward and was immediately engulfed and mixed by the green one. Another explosion rattled the base to the core as the dozen or so Youma were crumbling away from their own foolishness.

"How many of those does he have here? You could almost think, he had this planned for weeks!" I shot Priapos a curious look but the elf just shrugged her shoulders. "He never told me anything important. Just mission instructions… Well, actually it was just one mission…" Her gaze dropped briefly but went back to me when I touched her gently on the shoulder. "Let's move on. Can't be too further away now." It ought to better not be further away now or I'll think I would fall over from exhaustion before I even reached Adonis! Priapos jumped up, spun around and nailed another Youma that had snuck up on unnoticed with two quick slashes. "Yeah, the sooner, the better."

With that we continued sprinting towards the inner area where we guessed Adonis to be and where the small but steady ripples from my bond with Hotaru came from. It was a little hard to follow, because it was so… calm… I couldn't describe it but Hotaru's presence felt a little off, distant, not quite herself and yet still her. Didn't make much sense but at least I knew that there was no immediate danger, none I could detect anyway. _I really hope you are alright_, I silently prayed, trying to reach out over our connection, reassuring her, letting her know I was coming. I had done it once. Right before we entered I had felt an interesting kind of sensation float through me. Confidence, inner strength. I bet Hotaru must have pretty annoyed Adonis… A thought I could only smile at.

Yet now, there was nothing, no response at all. _Something_ was successfully blocking us. I knew it wasn't Hotaru, that would be different, I was used to that from time to time. But this, this felt like a thick mist that could not be penetrated or at least had to be worked hard on to do so. I didn't have the time for deep concentration, other than following the thin echo and combat awareness. At least Priapos' training had really paid of. I felt more agile, stronger and enduring like ever before. And my reflexes were razor-sharp too!

So it came that I reacted with the speed of a super-feline when we went around the corner just to find ourselves in the middle of another small army of Youma and those seemed somewhat more resistant. There was a faintly stronger aura of blackness around them. More power, higher positions… And they were still so much! Not to mention that they were on us in a flash…

_Must be nearby, that seems to be the honor guard_, I thought while dodging under one kick, gripping the creepy _flesh_ and without remorse – remorse for a Youma, an amusing thought – I twisted the leg around, drawing a howl of pain from my attacker. Sensing another approach from behind, I vaulted my now helpless victim around by his foot and swung him headfirst into its partner in crime. They didn't let me time to effectively cast a spell and I guessed that when I had to do anymore area clearing, I would be not able to face Adonis anymore. I just knew, I would need a lot of reserves, reserves I had vastly strained while working our way through the base. That's actually why I refrained from using the Venus Tear and just cast an orange-sparkling energy blade like Priapos used to do.

Ten seconds of dodging and striking later, we found ourselves back to back, catching our breath while our position allowed us a short moment to review the situation. Not good. There were at least fifteen Youma yet and it was hard enough to take one or two of them out in one stride. One stride, that was the best you got in the middle of this mess. Priapos parried of a sharp lance-like weapon – or better cut right through it – and then a dim, green field shimmered into existence. The shield would not hold long but I mused that that surely wasn't the plan.

"You know, where she is?" I nodded slowly, concentrating slightly, trying to find the cord that I had lost in the middle of battle heat. There. Very close now. I pointed into the direction I faced. "Just a couple of hundred feet maybe. Very close. That ought to the last of them." Priapos nodded and her eyes narrowed as I began to realize she was coming up with some sort of ridiculous seppuku plan. Priapos was a great military strategist, always having an answer to a seemingly hopeless situation. The problem was, most of her plans were outright crazy, unhealthy and she was barely able to pull them of. She did manage to survive any of her schemes so far, though.

"When I say jump, then jump." And with that she dropped the shield, leaving me no time to think, as she rushed up into the air. While I fended of fifteen highly-skilled Youma by myself, I noticed with battle-steeled experience and Hebe's memories that Priapos was zigzagging in the air, drawing a pentagram. Zipping one last final time around the drawn star, she completed the circle and I had my muscles already strained my muscles… "Now!" And before the command even fully left her mouth I was airborne, a stunning ring of green magic dropped onto the monster mass, paralyzing them effectually for some time. I didn't really need to hear her next command to know what was coming. "Go. I'll handle them."

Hesitating just for the briefest of moment, I sought out my friend's eyes, determined, twinkling from excitement. She _loved_ this! Deciding that is was no use to argue with her, I turned around sharply and sprinted down the corridor. If you could trust anyone to handle herself in a crazy fight like this, it probably was Priapos. I had more important things to do, much more important things.

(Hotaru)

"Urk…"

This was ridiculous. Really ridiculous. How was I, little, powerless me, supposed to fight a DEMON! I toppled backwards when the black bolt struck me once again, this time right into my gut. If this had been real, I would surely have lost all the food in my stomach. Oh right, there couldn't be anything left since Adonis' hadn't feed me. But, god, it FELT real! And there was actually blood on the ground that I just noticed, my vision blurring from the loss of fluids…

It had gone like that the last few minutes. Mistress 9 was playing with me, taunting me and inflicting the most peculiar kinds of pain without killing me. She could have snapped my neck by now, I was sure of that or she could have evaporated me with one of this damn, stinging bolts. That was worse than a high voltage electric shock and I felt every discharge still rippling over my body in tiny, painful ways. Gah, I wish she would just kill me…

Damn it, no! I reminded myself sternly of what was at stake here. It wasn't just my life on the line but Minako's also, at very least her happiness. And if that was taken away from her then, THEN it would be her life because I don't think she could stand this agony again. Not with Hebe's fresh memories of Kunzite's betrayal and death at her hands and all the other crushes and _losses_. An image of Saturn's glaive looming over the sparkling string representing our bond flickered through my mind. No, I could not lose this fight. Somehow I had to find a way to fight back, somehow I had to find a way to stop this… this bitch from taking over my body and…

_Matte!_ What was that again that Saturn had said to me at the beginning of the fight? _"Remember, at the moment this IS still your body. That is the advantage I must and will grant you."_ And somehow I knew that, even if she wanted, she could not rip this control from me, not as long as I still believed that was my body, my mind, spirit, soul and heart. As long as I fought back. Kuso, nobody would be taking MY body, not if I had any say in it. I had resisted the demon almost six years of my life and was still sane enough to form a wonderful relationship with the most beautiful girl – inside and out – that had granted me with the incredible gift of returning all this love.

"I'm tired of this, time to end…" Mistress 9 stared down at her hand, the motion caught in a glimmering band of violet, the other end held tightly between my fingers. Actually I had no idea, how I did this but it felt and came so naturally. My previous experience with dreamwalking did help here a lot. Although actually influencing the spirit realm… I grinned darkly, my eyes flashing with a sense of stubbornness I had not felt in the last years since the accident. Nobody would kill me, taking my body and make _my_ Minako miserable. "This is still my body and I tend to keep it." I was actually effected myself by the chilly tone my voice had taken. It almost sounded like Saturn…

Mistress 9 glowered at me, then her face turned into a mock grin. "Oh yeah, with an energy cord?" I smiled secretively, sharpening my spirit and my control. With a gesture the _cord_ changed. And I mean CHANGED. The demoness squealed in surprise, protest and maybe a little feel as a violet-silvery snake wrapped around her body. I risked a glance sideward and noticed Saturn with a barely noticeable smile and a look of approval in my direction. _So far so good, now what…_

An inhuman screech echoed over the bare wasteland. The penetrating smell of discharge and burnt flesh began to fill the air and my eyes widened as Mistress 9's body seemed to be engulfed in a black cloud of lightning bolts. With a loud, roaring thunder the cocoon broke and the demoness was left standing fuming, her rage building with every passing second. I gulped a little but narrowed my eyes and bit back on the fear rising inside of me. This was my mind, my spirit. There was no way she could harm me, if I didn't let her.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS, LITTLE RUNT!" A powerful, little comet-sized bolt leaped forward from her outstretched, SHARP fingertips… Just to bounce harmlessly of me, as I stood my ground. My eyes were not closed but surely distant, as I once again relied on Okaasan's teachings, shutting out all negative emotions, especially pain, and focusing on the positive one, especially my love for Minako. Mistress 9 just growled frustrated and irritated that her technique hadn't work. With critical speed she lunged forward but at the last possible moment, I twisted my body and let her pass me. Getting the knack of this thing, I fueled my spiritual powers and made a wave motion, sending the equivalent in a rushing of almost non-substantial white – could be transparent crystal even – into my opponent. Caught of guard and just in the process of turning around, the wave struck Mistress 9 and sent her into a boulder… or better sending her right _through_ it! _Woah, guess I don't know my own strength!_

The joy was short-lived when my adversary emerged from the debris, just slightly scarred. Her face, however, had now a matching grim smile to mine. "So, the little kind has some fighting spirit, hm? Well, then it's time to play rough." Her lips moved into a straight line. "You should have just given up, you know. I can be VERY nasty, when I am pushed." I didn't back down or let my eyes betray my emotions, however, under this icy glare I felt like I was wrenched inside out. Not like Saturn's penetrating cold one, no those eyes were piercing. As if they knew all my darkest secrets. Shimata, she already knew my darkest secrets, after all she lived six years inside of me…

Well time to change this now. _Don't doubt yourself, don't doubt yourself. You are stronger, you are your own master, you can do this!_ I repeated it over and over again in my head.

(Priapos)

I watched Venus vanish from my sight around the corner and waited for a brief moment to let my eyes flicker back to the now growling horde of monsters. Now was the question what to do with them. I had detected a pattern in the Youma attacks throughout our venture into the core of the base. All of them were primarily fixed on Venus. There seemed to be some sort of homing device stuck in their minds. Most of them had attacked blindly, going straight for my kin sister, some usually split up to deal with the distraction possessed by myself. It was not different with the sixteen – I counted – beneath me. If I let them go now, chances were high that they would simply ignore me and I wouldn't be given a damn thought ever again. This though meant that I either had to chase after them and fight my way through them to aid Venus or that my kin sister had to deal with them after being finished with Adonis and rescuing Hotaru – not that there wasn't a possibility that they crumbled after the defeat of their master. Better not to take this chance.

No, it couldn't be helped and there was only one way to pull this off and seriously relieve Venus from some pressure. Muttering a few words in Elvish I easily managed to modify the strings tied to the Youma so that I could control them. No, I didn't control the Youma but I could now shift their attention to a target of my choice, if I wanted to… Grinning mischievously at the course of action beginning to form in my head, I waved my hand in a gesture and set the Youma free again as well as modifying their "homing beacon".

"Catch me, if you can," I grinned and shot away at top speed, a stampede of monsters close on my tail. I let them close in somewhat, then shooting forward again, successfully keeping them in eyesight but out of immediate range. Without them noticing I led them back through the labyrinth of corridors and although those were much more intelligent, they were as much slave to the directing strings, which made them follow me blindly, as their kin…monsters.

Finally I emerged into the hall where Venus, Artemis, Kathryn and I had entered. The police officer was still "standing guard", leaning against a construction pile, her laser weapon pointed directly in the direction there I came from. She almost fired when I came zipping around the corner until she identified me and was just about to lower her weapon with a sigh and a scolding look, when my pursuers came into sight. This time Kathryn gave a yelp and fired but her aim was rather off from the surprise and it barely scratched one of the rampaging beasts.

I fluttered past her with a smug look and an excited smile. I didn't have so much fun since, since… Well, in a long time anyway. The thrill from the coordinated hunt was intoxicating and for an Efadio there was nothing better than the thrill of a desperate battle situation. We were pushed to our limits then and the more we were pushed, the stronger we became. That here was merely a comparable situation since I had it under a tight control but still it was… fun!

When I reached the outside, I immediately shot up into the sky, watching the masses of Youma stumble out after me and looking wildly around. I let them look a bit after one saw me up in the sky and barked something obviously distasteful. I merely smiled and waved my hand once again, chanting softly in my native tongue. There was a flash of the green pentagram around the group once more, just for a brief moment, then it was done. The Youma hesitated for a moment, confused by the target change and the exact nature of this target. Finally they started forward simultaneously, going at each other like a horde of blood-lusty animals. Body fluids were sprayed, arms and legs, inhuman screams echoed through the air. The Youma were attacking… each other.

I grinned triumphantly. Gathering a column of magic in my hands, I let the energy gather for a moment before it reached its peak. "KISHKAAN MOISTURE!" The gathered ball suddenly exploded outward and send several, small "bands" of rippling green wetness down, wrapping around the remaining creatures before they could continued this albeit the fun factor disgusting display. The moisture of the Kishkaan was known on Venus as the strongest acid in the whole inner ring system. Needless to say the effect was immediate.

Softly I tipped down to the ground, several feet away from the reminders of the vicious feast the Youma had held between themselves… _with_ themselves. I huffed and crossed my arms. "Teaches you to never mess with me again." I looked back and spotted Kathryn in the entrance, hovering there stunned an unreadable expression in her face. For once she seemed, as if she wanted to throw up anytime but then again, she was too shocked to do anything. I gave her a lopsided smile and headed back in side waving her after me. "Should be the rest of them. Let's find Minako and Hotaru and see, if we can help out."

Kathryn grumbled something under her breath but followed. _Now, I just wished Hebe could have seen this!_

(Venus)

The door to the "Admiral's Office" slid open easily, revealing a surprisingly enormous room. Offices usually weren't that big, not even that of high-ranked inhabitants. At least a dozen yards large from wall to wall and window to the door. The desk was neatly arranged and of dark brown wood with a large monitor resting in the middle. The curtains were tightly shut and no daylight fell into the room but the unnatural neon glow of the overhead lights were illuminating the office deep into the furthest corner. There were no signs of natural life here, no plants, flowers or anything else. Not that I expected some, it just surprised me that Adonis as a Venusian would like to live so… sparse and tidy. I guess, he didn't have time to set something more appropriate up… As if I cared.

Discarding the thought, I looked around trying to orientate myself. Hotaru was here somewhere, I could tell it. But… there was nothing that could conceal her from my sight. There was, as I said, no sign of life albeit the echo surely had come from this room. So… where was she? Maybe some sort of secret passage, a hidden gateway? No, there was no feel of negative energy that could indicate a portal of sorts. Maybe I could get something from that computer.

Crossing the room, I slid into the chair behind the desk and was relieved to find the screen still active and the system obviously in full run. Adonis had always been a bit careless with information. With a few keystrokes, I searched my way through the mass of data. There were a few, very interesting bits of information catching my eye, yet most of them were coded and hard to decipher. Even with all the experience I got over the last years, I wasn't Ami. Still, I could say for certain that some files were encrypted in the Lunar script.

What is that about a weird, caped man… Where did he come from and did he have something to do with Adonis' appearance here? These were clearly records still from the Silver Millennium area and some of the names used in cross-references rather often registered in my mind as distinctly familiar. Kuso, I wish I could still read this properly. I can swear I heard some of this names before. Where the heck is Artemis anyway? I had lost sight of somewhere during three fights ago. I could really use him now since he was naturally fluid in Lunari. Taking out a small crystalline disk, I attached it to the terminal and copied the files in a flash.

When I wanted to detach the disk again, my hand brushed over something. A switch? _Oh, you are so old-fashioned, Adonis._ I flipped the switch and promptly a section of the wall to my right slid opened and revealed a narrow hallway, dark and without any light. From my position I could not tell, if it went straight forward or down. I pocketed the disk into subspace and moved forward towards the opening. At that moment a slightly out of breath Artemis emerged in the door to the outer hallway.

"*Pant*… There you are. Kuso, Minako, did you have to run so fast…?" I paid him not much attention but carefully peered into the darkness. Artemis stepped up beside me and looked thoughtfully for a moment. "That smells like a trap." Exactly my thought, still I had no chance in this matter. That was the only possibility where I could find Hotaru, and finding her I would! "I know." With that I stepped forward, startling a protesting white cat which tailed muttering behind me. Chanting in a soft whisper, I created a small sphere of light floating in the air before me like a firefly leading me to it's namesake. My senses were sharpened and my hand twitched ever so slightly in expectation of an attack.

However, none came and then we reached the end of the straight, narrow corridor, we emerged in a dimly-lit room, a few torches burning. My superior night-vision pierced through the shadows, making out a surprisingly normal room/office. I had expected a dark, wet castle setting of late middle age or something. That surprise turned quickly into dismay as my eyes were drawn like a magnet to the figure in the middle of the back wall. Her wrists and ankles were tied by heavy-looking shackles, her head dropped and her body slumped.

"Hotaru!" I cried out, throwing all thoughts of caution overboard as I rushed forward in fear that I might be too late. But that couldn't be since I still felt her presence on the other side of our bond. My worries proved to be partially unnecessary since I quickly discovered that she just wasn't conscious… No, in some sort of deep trance. There was a faint aura of _something_ around her that let me shiver. Her body seemed to be severally weakened, from lack of fluids probably, and I could tell there was more physical damage underneath the light clothing – still the same as when she was taken – that I was aware of. I scowled darkly and run a finger over her features, mesmerized by the face I had missed so much. "What has he done to you?"

I jumped back in shock, as Hotaru's head suddenly snapped up and her body was pressed against the wall as she buckled over, as if she had been punched in the stomach. And she was spitting blood! "Hotaru," I screamed and tried to hold her steady, shaking her. There was no reaction. Closing my eyes I send a cascade of love down our bond, lending her some energy. The smaller girl's condition seemed to steady and I received bits and pieces of some sort of inner struggle. I could not tell but I knew that it was extremely important to Hotaru… The reassurance seemed to help though and I felt her confidence rising.

"My, my, what a lovely picture." I whirled around, hot-blazing anger in my eyes at the familiar voice. "_You!_" My tone dropped dangerously low. "What did you do to her?" With a flash the Venus Tear lay in my hands glowing brighter with my rising fury. Adonis wasn't impressed and grumbled something before replying coyly: "Oh, nothing much. I tried to raise that demon, really. But that bitch is pretty stubborn. If I had some more time though…" He stopped himself, as the ancient crystal in my hand flared to life in a display of four cross-arranged blades. "Adonis," I growled, punctuating my words sharply, "how can you dare taking my _mate_!" There was much of Hebe in the voice and Adonis shrunk back ever so slightly.

"Your mate," he laughed sarcastically. "Oh, come on, face it, Venus. There is no such thing for you – besides me that is of course. How long do you think you can keep her, hm? One more week, a month, a year maybe? Face the facts, girl, where is no happiness for you except your bloody mission. You are a caged animal that declines itself the wonders of freedom although it is able to break free by own free will. Come join us and we are making everything better than it was back then. You and I can be happy." Adonis indicated towards Hotaru. "This one is not suited for you. She is staining your light, Venus…"

Somewhere at this point, I had had enough of his talk. I had heard it again and again. Hebe had heard it again and again. However, when he began insulting Hotaru that was the final straw to my patience. I lifted a hand and shot a warning Crescent Beam narrowly missing his head. Outwardly calm I fixed an icy glare on him, holding my weapon loosely. "Shows how much you know. When did you ever do anything to impress me. You got yourself controlled by Metallia and Beryl, you are obviously not better of yet. And still you are ridiculously obsessed with me. How about _you_ face it that I will never love you." I indicated at Hotaru myself. "If you would really wanted me to be happy, you would see how much I am right now. Priapos did see it – which doesn't surprise me, since she has much more brains when you. Anyway, as I said, if you love me, as you said, you would finally step aside and let me life my life. A life that I have here and that I like. There is never a perfect life but that one here, as Aino Minako, this is a good life." My voice lost its indifference, as my eyes blazed once again, my anger formed into a sharp hot dagger by now. "And you just committed the greatest crime against a Sailorsenshi. You tried to take away her chosen mate!"

With tremendous speed I rushed forward, swinging my weapon at the handsome Venusian. Adonis stepped back, baffled by my fierce fury. He recovered quickly and flung a bolt a dark energy at me that harmlessly bounced of the blurring blade which's motion could make you dizzy. Striking out once again, I fainted a brutal, frontal slash and as expected Adonis drew back and slightly to the side… right into the path of a Venus Tear fueled Crescent Beam that hammered him backwards against the wall.

"Oops, gomen," I taunted, holding my weapon in an uphold position. "I thought you could take a little more. But… I shouldn't have bothered. Even without this," – I gestured at the transformed Venus Tear –, "I could beat you easily." If it wasn't for the dark aura of darkness surrounding and supporting the Venusian I would have to fear nothing from him. However, that incalculable element made it hard to judge his real strength. I was fairly sure that Adonis was unaware of being controlled, maybe not even really caring much.

"Be careful, Minako. There is an indefinable feel here that I can't quite place," Artemis murmured softly, his eyes briefly switching to Hotaru's still unconscious form – I really wished I had time to at least cut the shackles and put her down. "And it's not from Hotaru." That got my attention and I watched, shifting my balance slightly, as Adonis rose from his position. He chuckled darkly. "You Mau people always had this knack, didn't you?"

I drew back than I saw the small sphere of… nothingness in his hand, glowing eerily and growing brighter. It could really not been described as darkness or blackness or anything else in this area. There was just a deep abyss of nothing in the air over his outstretched palm. Adonis smiled darkly. "We will see who has the advantage over who, dear Venus, we will see." And with that he flung the sphere to the ground where it _exploded_ right upon contact, expanding at an alarming rate. I had my arms up, instinctively shielding myself, as the non-substance passed over us. And then I looked up again, we were in some sort of space, not no space… There was literally nothing here. Painted black was the only word that sprung to my mind. It really was, as if we were standing on a painted black background. We could see each other – which was rather unsettling due to the fact that there was no light – but other than that there was nothing. One thing was for sure that was not Earth anymore…

"Where…?" I gasped out, looking around and spotting Artemis to my feet and Hotaru still hanging now practically in midair, chained by invisible holds. Adonis smirked. "Nice, isn't it? I've got this little present g from our savior. This is a dimension where every light is absorbed. I have to admit that I am impressed and proud that my suspicious had been right. You really have obtained and mastered the legendary Venus Tear. But that will not help you here. This dimension even nullifies the power of the Ginzuishou." He didn't react as I stared at him wide-eyed at the implications, realizing that the light from the Tear had dimmed down and was getting weaker with every passing moment.

"I'll give you one last choice. Join us and we create something far greater than the Silver Millennium has ever achieved. Otherwise…" I looked back at Hotaru writhing in her trance, obviously fighting very hard on her own inward battle. A slight gasp, an inaudible scream… My eyes hardened, as I let all this impressions, feelings and emotions pour right into my heart, fueling it with new essence. The Venus Tear sprung back to life and I smiled coyly at Adonis. "Forget it."

(Hotaru)

Didn't I already said I had enough of that DAMNED VISIONS! Really, I was getting along just fine and actually thought I was gaining an upper hand in my fight with the demon when Mistress 9 started to attack me psychological again, as if this was _real_ and she was still inside my head. Drawing one vision after another from me which were awfully distracting. It wasn't as much as if I could not fend them off or that they really effected me anymore. My mind was set on one single thing and I was going to tear right through them, if necessary. Sure it wasn't _that_ simple. The trick was to find the core of the vision, analyze it and then counter it. Not so hard actually but it needed time. The flashes usually only lasted moments, seconds as best but in this time I was vulnerable and I had gotten hit a critical number of times. Nothing to be really worried about, I could manage, if I had to. However, this last psychic attack of hers…

I found myself in a setting similar to Tokyo. Well, it turned out to be Tokyo… about half a decade later. I must have been at least twenty and everything around seemed kind of normal, except then my wandering steps led me onto the campus of Azabu University. There, in the back, hidden behind a couple of trees, Minako was seated. Withdrawn, somewhat skinny, haunted… _destroyed_.

I approached her, feeling ill at the sight of my girlfriend like this although I knew pretty well that this was only an illusion. "Minako," I whispered softly to gain her attention. The now pale blond looked up wearily. Tired and old, her eyes held so little life. No life at all. I shuddered under the gaze. Shuddered under the gaze of a broken, merely adult girl who looked like she had walked through hell. And I could just tell she literally had.

Minako smiled, a smile that lacked any emotion and was just… lifeless… speaking of a wish just to die. No confidence. Nothing… "You are too late." I looked at her not understanding. "You are five years too late to save me." And with that she looked down again and was silent. I stood there frozen, unable to do anything or think clearly. That haunted look, like a ghost, a walking, _living_ ghost, unable to pass over. I wanted desperately to lung forward and just rip this, this… image to shreds but I found myself unable to, glued to the ground. _It is just an illusion, just a trick of your mind_, I reminded myself. Nothing of this would ever happen. I would not be the cause of another life destroyed. Not Minako's! It wasn't true.

*BUT IT CAN BE, IF YOU DIE TODAY!* Tomoe Keiko's voice cut sharply into my mind, the voice of my late mother once again pulling me out of the depths of my misery… Or was it the glowing pendant I just now stared down at, finding myself back on the vast surface of Saturn. Was my mother's image just a production of the pendants function, some sort of guardian spirit looking like my mother? Be it, as it was, again the little thing saved me and brought me back to reality. I glanced up to face Mistress 9 once again and froze, staring unblinking at the enormous sphere of black energy balance one the index finger of her left hand… She was grinning wickedly at me, a somewhat crazed expression crossing her features. "Too easy," she said and flung the blast… to the side? But there was Saturn and… THE BOND!

Still stunned from the life-threatening – or was that spirit-threatening – danger and the swift change in directions of her attack, I did not react immediately. Watching the sphere spiraling towards the glowing orange-violet band, the picture of Minako from that illusion flashed before me. If I lost here now, if I died here… Then that WOULD happen. So I had to move! MOVE, HOTARU!

And I did move. Moments before the sphere made impact, I moved, crossing the distance in a blur and reappearing right between the energy blast and the band. I was acting on pure instinct, didn't even consider the fact that Saturn would probably not allow one of the bargains at hand to be destroyed by the competitors. Logical thought had completely left me, just the urge to defend my bond with Minako. I could not let this happen. If I did, I would doom Minako's happiness forever, I would be responsible for the destruction of my own soul mate's life. I could die but at least I would die trying. Not just standing by and seeing the most precious thing in my life being torn away. The most precious thing… The only valuable thing. My life had been empty without her and if my existence was justified by making her happy, if that was the only thing… even if I would get nothing in return… That was worth it.

I crouched over the glowing bond, trying to shield it with my whole body, and drew the probably last sharp breath in my existence… And held it… long, VERY long. Nothing happened. I expected pain, horrible, destructive pain. Hot fingers scraping my body quickly, mercilessly… Nothing. Not even a little stung, just… silence.

I let the breath go, slowly – very, very slowly – and looked up to encounter the tip of Saturn's Silence Glaive just inches away from my face. I resisted the urge to draw back startled and just stared unblinking. My eyes were drawn to the pendant… lying on the ground? Black energy was crackling around the edges and… It had taken the blast? It must have been thrown around by the sudden movement and then… But, even an artifact like this… Could it simply absorb such a powerful attack?

I looked back up at Saturn and then over to a fuming Mistress 9. The Senshi of Silence spoke, her tone clear and commanding. "You passed." She made a motion with the Silence Glaive and Mistress 9 screamed as her body was literally ripped apart. "Be gone." The scream following was chilling to the bone, I tell you that. Then silence again, for a long time…

Until I was startled once again by Saturn's hand offering my help to stand up. My eyes had still been fixed on the spot where the demon had been. Saturn smiled softly and her eyes shone with… approval. Yes, I think that's it. She pressed something in my hand, it was the pendant. "If you want to win, you have to be ready to lose for it. Even though, you knew you could die and would be unable to pass the test, you were ready to sacrifice yourself in order to guard the very key to your heart."

Saturn reached up with one hand and touched my forehead. Our eyes locked for a single but endless-seeming moment. Violet on violet. Deep poles of wisdom and power meeting somewhat confused but confident ones. Eyes that had seen death inflicted by her own hands, meeting ones that had seen life in all it's glory – love. "You have proven worthy." Her tiara vanished and I could see the sign of Saturn glowing once again. And there was the feeling of incredible warmth on my own forehead, spreading throughout my body. "It is time." And then I… we were gone.

(Venus)

Clang. Should energy even made sound? Somehow it did or was I just imagining it. Dark blade against a swirling of four, smaller light ones. Strike, block, twisting, evading. You had to give Adonis as much, he was a good swordsman. Not as good as me and Priapos, mind you, but then there was the factor of the other dimension and how it seemed to multiple whatever powers fueled him. Maybe this was even the power fueling him? No time to think now, I have the disk and can figure that out. Now, just concentrate on defeating Adonis and rescuing Hotaru. And DO IT FAST!

Goddamn it, that was hurting! Currents of enormous powers were channeled through my body from the glowing Venus Tear and it was fluctuating, hard. Fading in and out of existence what made it even harder to set up a good defense or strike effectively. I had tried to cast magic but that was no good at all. All what I had to rely on was the transformed crystal that I didn't even fully understand myself. Not a very reassuring thought.

Another clinging noise accompanied by the familiar sound of discharging electricity and another jolt rocked through my body, stunning me almost. I gritted my teeth and pressed back, twisting my weapon in an attempt to disarm my opponent but he yanked my weapon down with his and a sharp pain traveled up my arm. The first I really felt what it was like to be wielding such a powerful weapon like the Crystal of the Weeping Unicorn. Damn, that stung and that pain. I had to hold out, had to win, had to save Hotaru…

I cried out in mind-blazing pain as a lightning bolt crashed right into my sight. Trying to clamp down on the pain, I grabbed the crystal blades almost painfully hard. The Tear flickered, violently. _Stay focused. Your emotions only. Your positive ones, ignore the pain._ Again the Tear flickered, dimming. _No, no, not now, not yet!_ And blinked out completely, simply _vanishing_. And with that the last light faded out from the dimension.

A cracking sound. It sounded almost like a shackle bursting and it came from behind me but how… Another hot wave of pain shot through me as I was hit again, this time in the stomach. I stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, hard. How can you fall, especially hard, in a void? "I really don't want to do this," Adonis voice rang out and threw the dancing lights in front of me I could make out that his eyes were… gleaming? Like pools of pitch-black darkness. Nothingness. "But since you're so stubborn, I think I do you a favor." His voice was monotone, as he began to walk slowly towards my broken form, the blade in his eyes emitting a low hum.

There, another crack! What was that? Never mind that now. Desperately I tried to reach back into subspace and retrieve the Venus Tear, straining myself to the very end of my reserves. It was no use. The light of the ancient artifact was gone, refused to answer my call. The darkness… nothingness around it was impenetrable. What could I do? What should I do? I couldn't give her up here! Hotaru, she needed me, she was relying on me, BELIEVING in me. I could NOT fail her! But I did, didn't I. I had tried everything, every trick, every maneuver I and Priapos had worked on it training. Adonis had met them all with a skill that betrayed everything what was possible.

Another crack. What the hell was going on there? I couldn't look back, my eyes were glued on the approaching form of the crazed man, I had once, a long, long time ago called a friend, a fellow Venusian. But now, now I only hated him. Weak, obsessed, controlled again and again. And he had hurt my mate. I couldn't let him go away with that, right? No way… but what could I do? There was nothing I could do. I failed, failed in the only battle that ever had a true purpose, a demanding purpose… for myself.

"Since you decided to waste your life, instead of changing it, I will free you now from your bonds, from your mission." I could make out something… A shadow? A looming shape of a person? A cape? Two gleaming eyes blazed in the nothingness around us and so did Adonis in return. Kuso, he really was possessed. I didn't pity him of course. In that situation that was one life I was willing to take. For Hotaru's sake. And maybe, just maybe a little bit for myself, Hebe strongly included. I was willing but I lacked the ability… How ironic.

Energy crackled as Adonis raised his blade, the tip flashing with energy. I tried to push myself up in a feeble attempt of avoiding the inevitable. "Hotaru," I whispered quietly, closing my eyes in defeat. "Gomen nasei…" The sound of discharge again, the air loaded heavily with energy moving fast. But there, there was another crack. The fourth one… I waited for the final blow to strike, to end it all. I had known that I might die, that I had no idea what I was getting myself into. But I had been prepared for this, dying for Hotaru seemed a good thought. I just wished I would have taken him with me at least, so that Hotaru could be free. Kuso.

I waited for the impact, waited, waited… and waited. Silence. An almost comforting silence. Then there was a soft, yet still chilling whisper. *Enough of this.* And like a bonfire I felt a presence literally explode behind me. My eyes snapped open and my head whipped around, staring in wide-eyed, open-mouthed wonder at the scene unfolding. My precious Firefly was… GLOWING! Her hands now to the side, completely free of any bondage. Her body was rigid, the head thrown back. And there was so much ENERGY! There was an inhuman piercing scream as _something_ emerged from my mates form, a shadow of some sorts, and vanished with an agonized howl.

However, I did not pay attention to that. Hotaru's hair was whipped back and with a blinding suddenness of a flashlight turned on in the darkness, a symbol blinked into existence. A familiar symbol, a familiar, astrological symbol. A symbol that froze me to the spot and that made Hebe scream bloody murder inside of me. The symbol of the last Senshi. The forbidden one, the one that brought the end and the beginning. The symbol of Saturn… AND IT WAS ON HOTARU! "No," I shook my head violently, as if the motion would ward of the image and the implications. Hebe had quieted down and was now stunned into disbelieving silence. "Oh, Serenity, please no…"

The violet energy surrounding Hotaru by now was like a cocoon, a swirling mess of destructive force. And with one last flash it burst, revealing the person that I dreaded, reality gripping my heart in its icy grip. The long, gleaming and not only deadly but destructive glaive in one hand, the unmistakable white-violet fuku, the cold, unfazed eyes that could make a mountain shiver. The Senshi of Saturn in all her glory… and… with a smile?

(Artemis)

"I was afraid of that." I felt Minako's eyes on me, hard, but I didn't care at the moment. They would linger there only for a moment anyway before retreating to the form of her girlfriend, now in all her reawakened Senshi glory. Sailorsaturn, the Senshi of Silence under the protection of the forbidden planet of destruction. The one that even the greatest evil feared and the highest good dreaded because she was… The Silent Messiah. That's what the Senshi from the ring planet had been baptized with.

There was a distinct pattern to her work, a cruel and inhuman pattern actually – but one that the majority seemed to find necessary. I could not really speak against it. If Evil ever gained the upper hand in the endless struggles against Good and there was no chance to reclaim peace again, then She was to awaken. She was the ultimate weapon, gifted by powers far beyond understanding and nobody really know from what they originated. Sailorsaturn was a mystery… No, not a mystery, more like the very symbol of the ultimate judge. The one who everyone had to answer sooner or later, the Black Man, the Grim Reaper, Death… What ever you wanted to call him/her. That's what Saturn was and ever will be, in her case its just the universe she judges.

Okay, not really judging, since she is on the side of _Good_. Her task was to reset what had been stained, cleanse what had been darkened with evil. A new cycle of life. Death and Rebirth. An end for a new beginning. And Sailorsaturn always only did it once. When she was awakened… Like now… Right? So… why was she smiling and why were we still alive?

I wondered, if Hotaru in her desperation might have called out deliberately to the Senshi of Silence, that she had somehow _asked for her help_. As ridiculous as this sounds, I did have had the feeling that this might happen. After all there was – HAD BEEN – a demon residing in young Hotaru's body and as much as it concerned a sleeping Senshi's presence, that must have been awfully unsettling, to say the least. I'm sure Saturn was not happy about it and all to eager to _help out_.

Yet, the most powerful Senshi was not one to simply trust to just act because she was uncomfortable. For what I knew, she could have slept on in Hotaru, as if she had no care in the world. Her mission was to awaken at the appropriate time, what should she care about her reincarnated self? She could rip the demon apart then she decided to emerge finally, when she was called. So why did Sailorsaturn care now. This, as grim as the situation looked, was not the grand final setting on the door to oblivion as the downfall of the Silver Millennium had been. Hardly.

Then that left only one possibility I had talked about with Priapos already. Saturn felt obligated to the Senshi bond. I could simply find no other possibility and I didn't even wanted to think of another. If Saturn was here to destroy everything, that she was awakened by accident and actually thought her time had come… The thought gave me a shudder and let my hair stand up… As if the air around wasn't enough all of a sudden. Deadly cold, chilling, silent.

The transformation had ended finally – or should I say already? The tiara faded back in, covering the glowing sign of Saturn, the Silence Glaive touched the _ground_, making no noise at all and it's wielder followed, as soundless as the weapon. And the smile was still there. What the heck was she smiling at? Saturn didn't SMILE! It was unnerving really and then her eyes focused, cleared of the pools of power, I shivered under the critical, yet so indifferent gaze she swept over us. Then her eyes settled on Adonis, they hardened. And somehow, somehow I knew that we would survive this whole mess.

(Saturn/Rhea)

Power. Building power. An awareness I had not felt in ages, eyes opening for the very first time since the reincarnation to the reality outside. My own eyes now, I mean, sort of anyway. Ripples of energy crawled over my body, cleansing the skin below and giving my host a complete healing of any aftereffects or manipulations Tomoe Souichi had done to it. A complete new life. And for the first time in millennia _I_ lived.

Floating down to the ground gently I noted in dismay that my first touch with reality was in a non-reality of some sort. I could not quite say where but it was somewhat familiar. And it was lifeless. Well, that was actually perfect. I felt myself smiling at the thought. I just had to be careful with myself, my… mate and her partner. Nobody else, nothing to worry about. Whoever created this had given me a good opportunity he wasn't even aware of. Of course I knew who had caused it. I was more concerned about the powers behind the foolish Venusian.

My eyes drifted through the void brushing quickly over the Mau cat glancing at me with something akin to understanding. Yes, I think he understood… something. Not everything. I saw the mixed emotions cleared played upon his small face. I continued smiling and it made me almost giggle at how much it made him nuts. Almost.

Then my eyes fell on Venus and were locked in place for an endless moment. Granted I had not been particular happy about the choice my host had made. It was… awkward. Everything was so different, so unexpected. I had come here by request but I still didn't really know what I was to do here What was my place, my mission? There did I fit into this whole situation? Surely, not because I should reset everything again, what would be the purpose to include me in a rebirth cycle then? Maybe I was actually here to… help.

The thought was strangely comforting. For a long time, I had only known the lonely planet that was my resting place. The forbidden paradise that lay behind what the eye could see. All alone, only for one single purpose in my life. Death. Ironically it really was and as I shifted my hold on the Silence Glaive, I felt the heavy weight of a cruel and unfulfilled fate resting hard upon my shoulders. Oh, how I had wished to live, how I had wished to go out and live. Like the others did, like all of them did. All except me. I was kept away, locked away, not allowed to go. I had a duty but it was a prison actually. Even Pluto did have it better than me.

As my eyes met Venus', absent of any particular differences between Hebe and her host at the moment, my eyes softened. She had made Tomoe Hotaru happy and Hotaru had made her happy. Simple as it is, it was so much more worth. Especially to me. We were the same person after all. Even if Hotaru didn't know it, even while I slept on and wasn't really aware of anything, that had stirred me. Their happiness. And it made me smile thinking about all the sweet moments – and the intense ones, that I had unintentionally briefly shared. Hotaru was happy, Hotaru was me and she LIVED!

Still. Duty first.

The moment passed as my gaze swung to the last figure in the room. The tainted figure. The enemy. What a pitiful excuse of a minion and a minion he was, no doubt. There were much greater powers at work here that were yet to reveal themselves but by concept of fate weren't my responsible. Not at the moment anyway. My eyes hardened and I noted grim satisfaction when the little peasant called Adonis made a step back under my famous death glare. I had enough time to work after all, millennia spent on a lone planet. I moved my deadly weapon ever so slightly and Adonis shuddered. "That, that can't be…" he whispered, his voice laced with terror, as if he stared the devil in person in the eye. Well, in his case he probably would have welcomed that.

"Rhea." I blinked – something I didn't do in a VERY long time – at the tiny, shaken voice and then I turned my head back to Venus, I saw now beyond doubt Hebe's eyes looking back at me. Uncertain, scared a little – or maybe a hell lot of it – unbelieving, shaky… I could not blame her. "It has been a long time," I mused with a distinct undertone of emotion that I allowed myself. Yes, it had been a long time. A long time since my calling. A day full of honor and yet the beginning of a half-self-chosen exile. The other Senshi had been there. It had been the only time that I saw them. But I remembered… I remembered the face of young Hebe, her face outraged and definitely affronted by the idea of supporting my fate. But she didn't have a chance back then, did she? No, not really. It had all been written down in stone. It was moving nonetheless and just the thought I was not just some sort of too powerful criminal who needs to be locked away, had given me some resolve to follow my calling with less dreading. It didn't help though. But what would you expect after a millennia?

"Yes…" Hebe's whisper brought me back to reality. "Yes, it has…" Without really noticing I had crossed the distance between us and laid one hand on her shoulder, healing magic traveling over her crumbled form, as she stared up with wide, unblinking eyes. I could really not hold my host's choice against her. And it would be too late anyway. Truth to be told, I couldn't have cut the bond, even if I wanted too.

I tried to look reassuringly. It is hard I tell you, after such a long time as the Senshi of Silence, the emotional cold bringer of the end, it was hard to show emotion and do it right. "Don't be afraid. I might not be… pleased with all this but… I have to value the bond. My time has not yet come... and it will never come again like you remember it." She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out, as I turned around again.

Yeah, it was not my time yet. It was Hotaru's life, her happiness. And now with the demon gone, she could live it. I was not ready yet. There was still time left and I had to wait. Until then, I could only be happy for them. Happiness. A strange feeling. Almost alien to me, maybe it was alien to me. What happiness did I have known as my existence as Princess Rhea? Not much. My childhood ended early, too early, and even that was filled with lessons to prepare me for my duty. The duty only I could carry out, because I was chosen. I was not allowed to be happy.

Yes, I was melancholic here. It wasn't like I totally hated it. I knew the reason behind this actions, I understood them even, feeling the power I could command with a single thought, coursing through my body. Such power should never be lifted onto ones shoulders. Yet it was and the one was me. Me alone, Rhea, Sailorsaturn. Tomoe Hotaru should not be burdened with it. The child was still young, had her live before her. Especially now, since she was free. Life, freedom. Yes, in a little while, I would be sharing this with her, lessening the burden a bit.

All that shot through my head as I turned around to face the actual crux of the problem again. _Yeah, well_, I snorted, _what a problem he presents_. That was then something shot passed me and I had no time to bring my shield back up. A sharp outcry of pain. Hebe's voice. "I have enough of this! You can't hurt me! Don't you all realize that you are all prisoners of yourself? I will not let it end this way again!" Adonis voice rang out over the void area, shaking, on the verge of madness. I froze in my tracks, staring at the seconds before freshly healed and now sprawled out form of the other Senshi on the ground.

Then, very, very slow, I turned back to the source of the attack. An unfamiliar sense of unyielding, piercing cold anger rose in me, as I felt the pain of Venus, as if it was mine. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the bond. I was the active one now, so it bounded me and Venus. "That," I spoke quietly but my voice clear like ice and sharp like a knife, "was a pathetic mistake." And Adonis WAS terrified under my cold, accusing gaze. Even clouded by darkness, yielded too almost maddening obsession, his survival instincts were still intact. And the Venusian knew perfectly well that his life had just been judged. Death sentence.

Bringing the Silence Glaive in front of me, I heard the sharp intakes of breath behind me, both from a hard briefing Venus as well as her guardian cat. Frantically Adonis tried to stop me. Bolt after bolt of negative energy bounced of my form or was drawn right into the tip of the glaive that had started to glow in a bright dark light. Attack after attack was flung at me but I could not been hurt. Not by the destructiveness of the power, that was my element too. I felt the odd presence behind the void slowly retreating and Adonis actions weakening in response but not ceasing. "Pathetic."

I smiled again, an icy smile. "You have wronged my host and tried to shatter her bond with the Senshi of Venus. That was a great mistake, fool. You've called for your own downfall, from the beginning wandering a path not suited, not meant for you. You were blind and refused to see the truth. Now, this has gone too far. Meet your fate." I could almost feel the other two behind me shivering and Adonis… Well, he stood there stock-still, a look of dawning realization creeping into his face, for a brief moment pushing the insanity away. The look of a man scared for his life. And he had every reason to be.

Ribbons of darkness – shadows, not the non-substance around us – began to pour out from the Silence Glaive, gathering around the ancient weapon, as I sharpened my concentration, carefully manipulating my given power for the intended task. I rarely ever had to control much before, just set it right, so that there was actually something left for rebirth. However, this time, this time I would use my power for something else than my duty. For my personal duty, to myself. For the obligation I earned Tome Hotaru.

If I did this right – and I would do it right – then she at least could live a few years of peace, relishing in her love, in a strange relationship with my mutual counterpart. I wondered briefly, if that was fate's way of apologizing for the millennia of loneliness. Maybe it was. And I could grew to love it. But not now. Not yet. Now it was Tomoe Hotaru's time for awhile, free of any demons, free of physical health problems. She could live and I would wait. Because it made me happy, when she was happy. We were one. It was time to give her her life back. It was nice as long as it lasted.

"DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION!" And the Silence Glaive went down…

Somewhere in the labyrinth of corridors two figures stopped in their running, blinded and pushed back by the explosion of energy bursting through the whole base, making it impossible to see or feel anything.

(…)

Miles away, back home in Tokyo, a girl with brown hair tied into the ponytail stopped her late-night cooking for a moment, then glanced out at the sky and shivered. Nearby a blue-haired student put down her pencil and rubbed at her studies, shivering as well. In a temple not far away a raven-haired miko shrank back as her late fire reading had an unexpected result. The Sacred Fire had gone out.

(…)

And in a house of a seemingly normal family, a blonde girl jerked slightly in her sleep and the black cat with the Crescent Moon on her forehead looked up sharply, her eyes widening slightly. After awhile she frowned. "What the heck was that?" Puzzled and thinking what her friend had gotten himself into back in England, she lay back down, now deeply troubled. Neither of the two room occupants noticed the faint glowing of a Crescent Moon insignia on the girl's forehead.

(Venus)

White. Everything went wide and… silent.

I blinked my eyes dizzily, trying to regain my bearings. An additional attempt of pushing myself up was delayed when I winced from numbing pain. Gah, I felt like I've rode right through the hell. The special tour with the very special torments. What the heck happened? I tried to work my way through the haziness of my mind, while my vision slowly returned. I was in the middle of rubble, ruins actual. The wind was heavy and tore relentless through my shredded fuku… There I could make out a small figure, dark hair, pale skin… Hotaru! The damn of dizziness cracked open and all the memories flowed back striking like many tiny hammer blows, turning into a crescendo of conflicting thoughts and emotions. Hotaru. Kidnapped. Facing Adonis. Losing. Saturn… Oh, Serenity, what were you thinking? Hotaru WAS Sailorsaturn!

A groan alerted me that I had better set aside this disturbing thought and tend to my mate. Whether or not she was the most powerful Senshi that ever walked Earth… or the universe for that matter. Gritting my teeth, I slowly crawled over, my hands getting scraped by the rubble – did the base actually blow up? Kuso, this last blast from Adonis had nearly killed me. I think, all in all we should be really, REALLY glad that we were still alive… And that the planet still existed.

I shook my head, trying to shake off thoughts of the alter ego of my girlfriend wielding the gleaming Silence Glaive, inflicting destruction with three words and one motion. It was no good, I just couldn't get that image out of my head and I was sure it would stay burned there for the rest of my life. I passed Artemis on my way and spared him a glance but he seemed to be okay. Lucky cat, didn't get hurt at all. Just unconscious. I crawled further down until I reached the fragile looking form of my lover, my soul mate, my one and everything, who just about now opened her eyes.

I drew in a sharp breath, trying desperately to ward of the images of Saturn replaying themselves again and again. I could not let her see me scared. Scared of her. Scared didn't even described it… But let's not go there. Couldn't let her see… That is, if she was still Hotaru. Or had Saturn taken over permanently? That was what I was worried about when blue orbs met deep violet ones. Confused, somewhat frightened, eyes of someone who just lived through and survived a kidnapping by her lover's obsessed suitor – I was not in the least bit sorry about what Saturn had done to him without remorse. However, that wasn't Saturn, that was sweet, little Hotaru. And she looked like she might break every moment at the sight of me.

"Minako?" Her voice sounded weak, faint and scared. I reached out with a tentative hand, resisting my urge to tremble, and brushed through her dark hair. "I'm here, Raven. I'm here…" As if a dam broke somewhere inside of her, she let out a great sob of relieve, fright and other mingling emotions, burying her head in my chest. I winced a little but ignored the slight burn of pain riding roller coaster in my system and simply stroke her hair, afraid despite everything, despite Saturn to ever let her go. Never again. She would never again endure such a thing. That I swore to myself even before I heard her mumble: "What happened, Mina-chan… I… I don't remember…"

She looked up at me and again I felt my emotions go in dizzying circles, as I tried to shut out the memory of Saturn under the inquiring gaze of this frightened and confused eyes of my mate. I knew I was doing a miserable job of it, when her expression changed to utterly terrified. "I… I didn't to anything bad, did I? Oh, kami, please tell me nothing happened that…" I cut her off the only way I knew would work. I kissed her.

Relishing in the feel of lip contact, the familiar rush of reviving energy – physically as well as mentally – all those troubles were suddenly washed away. I had my Hotaru back. It didn't matter, if she was Sailorsaturn as long as she didn't destroy everything. At least after this incident I knew for certain, but I also knew for certain that the now sleeping Senshi would surely protect my mate… Never mind the fact that I was effectively bonded TO Sailorsaturn… No, that really didn't matter right now. I had my Hotaru back, that was all that counted.

"Nothing is wrong, Little Firefly, nothing happened, nothing…" I whispered softly and held her tightly, never mind the protest of my body as we sat there for a long moment. I looked sideways as I sensed Artemis next to me and gave him an inquiring look. I had not forgotten that he had apparently known about the sleeping Saturn but I really didn't feel like arguing right now. The white cat just shook his head tiredly. He had at least the grace to look apologetically.

"Really, Hebe, did you have to blow up the whole building?" Priapos clear voice rang through the air in a playfully chiding manner as she flattered into view. I scowled at her but couldn't suppress a small smile as I looked down at Hotaru's form who had slipped away into mild unconsciousness again. _Not me, Pria, not me._ The elf was silent after catching my look. I guess she knew too then, given the startled look on her face.

After a while of silence, I felt her hand on my shoulder and looked up to her. Priapos face was soft and compassionate. "Let's go home. We heard sirens in the distance." And with a great of effort she helped Hotaru and me up, as we limped away from a place that would forever be stuck in our memory as a place of great distress, alarming revelations and the beginning of a new, stony road. A beginning with no predictable end.

THE END… of the beginning

Epilogue

(From the diary of Tomoe Hotaru)

I cannot tell you how good it feels to finally be OUT again! To see the light, fresh air. Heck, I could have danced in the usual British rain for all I cared, if Minako hadn't sternly scolded me for it. She is awfully protective of late but I guess that is only normal after what happened and I find myself rather enjoying the attention. Although she becomes awfully quiet every time conversation only scratches the topic Adonis and what happened at the base. my girlfriend told me that he has been taken care of. I should not worry. But she never said, it was by her doing. And somehow I doubt it.

I could not tell why but I feel that I have at least something to do with it. The last thing I remember was fending of Adonis advances and then… calling out to someone, a plea… As hard as I tried I could not penetrate the hazes of memory and I am not really sure, if I really want to. There is something important I forgot, I am sure of it, a face, two actually, a place somewhere else, not on Earth. That's about everything and it doesn't make sense. Not much anyway.

However, I feel at peace now, the demon is gone. Not sleeping, not calmed by the pendant I'm still wearing although I doubt I need it anymore. The dark, omniscient presence is finally gone. And I feel strangely free. There is still something in there but the other presence, I have always felt more at ease with her, like she is a part of me. Maybe it has something to do with what happened back at the base. Maybe… But as I said I am better of not knowing, I guess. I will worry Minako less with that.

The remaining time of our vacation slowly draws to an end but we have used the last weeks well. Kicking back and simply relaxing. No, Youma anymore, no fighting, no kidnapping, just us. And Priapos and Kathryn and Artemis. That was acceptable though, rather fun actually. The elf and I seemed to have simply jumped over the awkward state and instantly gone to liking each other. All in all it has been a very relaxing time.

Even when we soon return home and I look back on it, all the hardships, the days of isolation and torment, I look at some quite exciting times. Times that were not really easy and simply relaxing but that still count as the best times in my young life so far. I have reached a turning point. My life has finally found a purpose. I have found unyielding love in Minako and I could not, would not trade this for anything, even if it meant canceling out the time in Adonis' grasp. We are save now and that is all that matters. Us. Together. Both of us standing on the start of a path leading to our new, united life. A future surely to be looked forward to.

I can only say that I am a very happy, teenage girl at the moment. Just like it should be.

Yours

Hotaru

(From the diary of Aino Minako)

Then I actually allow myself to think back on the events of this dark day, I have the distant idea that Saturn… Rhea was… is lonely. There was this look in her eyes, that all too familiar emotion, I have known for so long.

Loneliness has been a constant companion. Even then I was with the girls, even then I outwardly seemed to be the chipper, happy girl. Inside I always had been lonely. HAD BEEN. Not anymore. To think it all began on a rainy day in a lonely alley with a maybe, maybe fated meeting of two souls tormented by the ways of life… It is quite amusing actually how things have turned out. As the old saying goes… Takes one, to know one, right? Two lonely souls without purpose had found each other that day and created a shared purpose, themselves.

That is why I keep thinking back to that lonely eyes barely visible behind the stoic mask of the Senshi of Silence. Somehow it reassures me to see that mark of humanity. Although it saddens me somewhat because the expression was so damned familiar. Well, I intent on making Hotaru happy and so I would grant Rhea the same pleasure, right? Hebe is awfully quiet then inquired about her own feelings about the other Senshi. I think she pities her, has pitied her… whatever. Anyway, the thought of Saturn being a part of my sweet girlfriend becomes almost bearable like this, almost.

The time has come at last. Summer break was coming to an end and we have to head home. I will really miss the little city here, especially the bungalow with the lake setting. And I will definitely miss Hotaru beside me in bed… That will probably prove the hardest part. But we will manage somehow. After all, it was not, as if we were out of touch. And there are the weekends and the sleepovers. Can absolutely not forget about them.

Priapos has decided to head home. To Venus. She wants to go and look, if maybe someone survived the Millennium's fall, some subspace pockets maybe. I would be glad myself, though I doubt it. However, you are allowed to hope right? We, being Artemis, Priapos and me, decided – swore – to keep quiet about the peculiar details of what had transpired in the few weeks here. It would not to any good for anyone's presence of mind that my girlfriend is Sailorsaturn. Not for Luna, who would probably throw a fit, and especially not for Hotaru herself.

Not to forget the others. We are sure this was just the beginning and that the crisis is yet to actually begin. The disk has revealed some rather disturbing details and it is a question of time when the Sailorsenshi would be needed again to defend the world. After all that is our job. In due time the others would be needed to awaken and our eternal battle of Good against Evil would begin anew.

Until then I plan on spending enough time living, enjoying Hotaru's presence at my side, as much as possible.

Love,

Minako

Somewhere in the ruins of a previously still at least intact if widely unused military base, the form of a black shadow could be seen rising slowly. A low chilly laugh rung through the air and it vanished.

(…)

The scene shifts to a dark space. A void with only one occupant. A young, teenaged girl with long brown hair, once upon a time known by the name of Tomoe Megumi. The shadow reappeared in front of the girl, hovered there for awhile, then chuckled evilly.

END Of PRELUDE, BEGIN OF MAIN STORY

_Well, that was it. The whole, terrific story. Although I didn't allow myself to think about it at this time, I was a bit sorry about Adonis, only a bit. He was blinded like so many others and only partially understood what he was doing there. The Adonis I had known from my childhood as Hebe would have been outraged over what he did later._

_All in all, it was like we described it in our finishing entries. We had stepped onto a new path, together. A path leading to a better future and a lot of adventures ahead. But those will be handled in the main section._

_Ja, yours_

_Minako and Hotaru_

Author's Notes

*pant* I. Am. Finished. Phew, at least over ten, probably close to fifteen pages on the weekend. I wanted to finish this and well, I did! *smiles gleefully* Satisfied? Happy? I am. You too? Honestly that whole thing was a lot of fun and really got my lately rather lazy butt in gear to seriously stay focused on a series.

Now there are some things to clear up. First of all the time space since the accident. Yes, I know I wrote it in the time cheat that it was when Hotaru is around five. That is wrong though, since there is a definite age in the Manga. Which is eight. So Hotaru was eight years then and that makes it about six years from her age at this point. I hope I didn't make too much false references in the last chapter, if any, when I find them I clear them up.

Tomoe Keiko und Megumi. It is rumored that Hotaru had a sister. This is partially built on the Anime again, where it is said that only Souichi and his "oldest" daughter survived. There is no such reference in the Manga. But there is a reference to Keiko, at least her name.

I apologize for the rather bad picture, I gave Adonis in this part from Minako's point of view. But really, would you care a damn that the guy might have some good in him, when he held your lover captive and tormented her? I doubt so. Frankly, I think my portrait of Venus in this regard was realistic. She just didn't care.

If you're wondering what my strong references to heart and will were about. Well… That might be to a point influenced by MKR (Magic Knight Rayearth). I just received the DVDs a few weeks ago from eBay (Original with English subtitles) and might have been a little too much on the trip… I thought it suitable for Venus and the Tear in this regard and believe me, any reference was rather unintentionally.

There are a few mysteries, I don't want to talk about right now since they will play a major role in the upcoming rewrite. I think you all somewhat recognized most of the clues and hints. Not that Mistress 9 was a hint… You will see sooner or later what this is all about and how our two lovers and the other Senshi will fare in their battle for peace.

I think, that was all for this chapter and for this fic. As I said, it was fun and I surely am not bored yet of this project. I don't know when I start with the R-series but you'll see, just watch out for it. At the moment I'm having my hands on a MKR fic (with Hikaru/Umi). Watch out for "Troubled Hearts" soon.

Write me, I really appreciate any constructive feedback and if you got hook up on the couple, please, pretty please join my group (addresses above). We are so few.

At last, I want to dedicate this fic (all parts included) to my trusted beta-reader Athenia, who sadly will be off to college shortly and won't have time to beta anymore for me. I always appreciated your efforts, Athenia, and I think it actually helped over a few standard mistakes. I'll miss you.

Ja ne, yours

Matthias

The 1st Generation, Sailor V©2002 by Matthias Engel


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